Righteous Blood
by SupernaturallyKay
Summary: Dean's not the only one who'd do anything for his brother. What happens when he meets someone who's made the same sacrifice? They've both been to hell in back, & must fight together to overcome evil.  Semi-AU, set in season 4.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! **

**For those of you who are not familiar with my story, welcome! I hope you enjoy it! **

**For those of you returning, welcome back! I'm sorry I've been away so long, but I have NOT forgotten this story and I will NOT give up on it. Here is the updated chapter one that I promised I'd post tonight. Please read and review. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters.**

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter One**

The moon was bright. Much brighter than she'd remembered it. As it held steady in the winter's night sky, it's glow outlined her father's old hunting cabin. It was quiet; except for the occasional breeze that passed by, rustling leaves on the ground and surrounding trees. She tried not to disturb her family's safe haven, and carefully stepped closer to the front door.

Of course, she knew that her family had already successfully secured the cabin's perimeter; an evening ritual she was familiar with. Salt lines at every window and every door, protection symbols, devils traps. The works. She also knew every weapon her brother and father secretly concealed on their person at all times. It didn't matter. It wasn't enough to keep her out.

She'd known this place her whole life. To her, it was home. When she was little, Dad always said it was a secret hide-out made just for them. He'd convinced his five year-old daughter that the magical woods that surrounded it would always protect them. She kicked herself mentally for ever believing her father's childish psychology. There's no such thing as magic. But monsters...that's a totally different story.

She considered breaking in, but then decided it wasn't an option. Her father and brother would go into hyper-active defense mode, and she'd be done for. There had to be another way.

She approached the cabin's front porch quietly, not wanting to alarm her family. As she moved closer, she got a better look inside. She saw her brother Danny on the couch staring blankly at the television. From where she was standing, she could see the lovely shiner over his right eye. Danny was no stranger to what he called "battle wounds", but she was still concerned. She sighed, and shifted her eyes to find her Dad, empty bottle of Jack hanging loosely in his right hand, passed out on his favorite chair.

It was just then that she was hit with a wave of guilt. She never should have left them. Mom had told her that it was going to be her responsibility to look after baby Danny and Dad after she was gone and now she felt as if she'd failed her mother. She was only five when she quickly assumed the role in her mother's place as cook, housekeeper, nurse, teacher, and confidant. But above all, she was a hunter.

It had been her father's idea. Jerry was convinced that there was a way to bring his wife back from the dead and he ended up getting mixed up with all different things. He'd tried all kinds of summoning rituals and séances he'd found in dusty library books, but nothing worked. Over the years, he'd met Bobby Singer, a fellow hunter, who eventually told him that what's dead, stays dead. Jerry then started working alongside Bobby on various hunts, from simple salt and burns, to tracking demonic omens. Inevitably, Jerry's kids were raised and trained as hunters too.

Reburying the bitter guilt that began to rise in the back of her throat, she took a deep breath and knocked on the front door. Her heart skipped a few beats when she heard Danny unlocking it from the inside.

She instantly smiled when she saw him. He was the only person in the world who could make her smile even as the world around her was crashing down. "Hey," she said when she saw her brother's head peeking out from behind the door.

Her little brother stared at her. He'd grown a lot since she'd last seen him; his now six-foot three-inch tall body standing near her five-foot-ten. He had let his hair grow longer than usual between haircuts, and he hadn't shaved in a few days. Despite his physical changes, She knew it was her brother. His eyes were still the same shade of captivating baby blue that drove the ladies crazy. She frowned a little when she saw the mixture of sadness and fear behind them.

Danny didn't say anything. His words seemed to die on his lips. Danny stared at the figure before him for a few seconds, then quickly slammed the door in her face.

"Don't!" she said. "Oh, come on, Danny. Open the door." She began knocking again.

Inside, Danny knelt down to draw the silver knife he kept concealed between his right boot and pant leg. "Get out of here!" shouted Danny.

"Danny," she tried, "come on, it's me."

"That's not possible," said Danny, shaking his head.

"Please, Danny," said Stephanie. "I'm not kidding you this time. It's really me."

Danny decided to open the door again, and upon looking at her, he noticed that she resembled his sister in every way. His skepticism getting the best of him, he folded his arms across his chest and said, "Prove it."

She smiled a little, and began making a list, counting off each fact on her fingers. "You're favorite color is green. You love Twizzlers and you hate mayonnaise. When you were little, you were afraid of the guy on the Lucky Charms cereal box. Your Mom…our Mom died of cancer when you were only eight months old. You wanted to play little league as a kid, but Dad always said that hunting was more important. You didn't get laid until..."

"Stop."

She looked into her brother's eyes, and he looked back. Danny stepped aside, allowing enough room for his sister to enter the cabin. As she walked by him, he cut her right arm with a silver knife.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"I had to make sure it was really you," said Danny.

"Wasn't the profile hit list enough?"

"Nope. You can never be too careful." Danny stepped over salt line and walked through the hallway as quietly as possible. He knew it was best not to wake their Dad from his drunken slumber. He turned around quickly and saw that she had no problem crossing the salt line as well, and passed his second test. Danny proceeded to walk through the house and into the kitchen where he poured them each a glass of soda.

"You read my mind," she said, accepting the glass. Her hunter instincts told her that her brother had spiked the soda with some holy water. His third test.

"Ahh," she said after taking a long gulp from her glass. "I almost forgot how good it tastes." Danny stared at her, dumbfounded.

She began swirling the beverage and ice around in her glass, and asked, "So did I pass all your tests?"

What Danny couldn't believe was that she did pass all his tests. He couldn't believe how hard it was for him to believe that his sister was back. The same sister who'd raised him while Dad was out hunting. The same sister who taught him how to read, to write, to drive. To hunt. The same sister whose arms he laid in while he bled out onto the cold, forest floor. The same sister who bargained with a demon. The same sister who went to hell…for him.

Danny hadn't realized that tears had started to fall down his cheeks as his brain started to wrap around the idea that his sister was home. She was alive. Fully functioning, healthy, breathing, talking to him like nothing ever happened. He tried not to think of the last time he'd seen her.

"Stephanie," said Danny. "I've missed you so much."

**A/N: I plan to have chapter 2 revised soon as well. Keep an eye out for it. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! I am still in the middle of revising and updating/replacing the old chapters with the new ones. Thanks for reviewing! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any recognizable characters.**

**Chapter Two**

Jerry woke up to the sound of a perky woman selling cutlery knives on a midnight paid program. Looking around the room, Jerry found that his son had gotten up from the couch. When he heard the voices coming from the kitchen, Jerry got up from his chair to investigate. He knew that one of the voices belonged to Danny, but he was having some trouble placing the female's voice. After nearly falling over the coffee table and stumbling his way into the kitchen, Jerry discovered his son in a hugging embrace with the girl.

"Daniel," said Jerry, "what the hell d'you think you're doin', boy? I said no visitors."

Stephanie had seen her father enter the kitchen over her brother's shoulder. Deciding it was time to let go, Stephanie stepped back from her brother and addressed her intoxicated parent.

"Hi Dad," said Stephanie in a soft voice, an uneasy smile crossing her face.

"Stefffany?" slurred Jerry. He squinted his swimming eyes at the girl before him.

"Yeah." Her smile widened.

" Not poss'ble," Jerry continued, "she died." He scratched the top of his head in confusion.

"Dad," tried Stephanie, "it's really me. Danny and I have been through this already. I'm really here."

"Pffft," scoffed Jerry. He didn't want to hear any of it.

Before either child could say anything, Jerry turned away from them and headed back to the living room. He resumed his original position in his chair and it wasn't long before he was snoring again.

"Well that didn't go like I hoped," said Stephanie.

"Yeah, he's been a little off lately," admitted Danny. "And I really don't know why."

Stephanie stared at her brother. She knew why their father was drinking like a sailor.

"Did he do that to you?" asked Stephanie, pointing to Danny's face. "It looks like it hurts."

"Nah, I'm fine," said Danny as he rubbed at the bruise. "Dad took a look at it after we got back from our last hunt. It should be gone in a day or two."

Their last hunt had been over a week ago. There was a poltergeist three states over that needed to be taken care of. It'd also been the same week that marked the anniversary of their Mom's death. As the day drew nearer, Jerry began to make some new friends with Jack, Jose, and Johnny W. One night, things got a little out of control and Jerry had "accidentally" taken out a few of his frustrations out on Danny. They'd finished the hunt and Jerry wanted to go out to celebrate at the bar near the motel. Danny decided to stay back and watch some television in the room. Both men silently decided to deal with their grief separately, instead of being there for each other when it mattered most. When Jerry had returned nearly four hours later, he made such a commotion that he woke Danny. Seeing that his father was clearly inebriated, Danny suggested that his father go right to bed and to hand over the car keys, as he'd be driving home in the morning. Jerry retaliated by punching his son in the face.

Danny woke up on the motel floor the next morning with a terrible headache, and the same shiner that Stephanie saw today.

"Liar," said Stephanie. "Let me take a look."

"It really is you, huh?" said Danny. "You're still worrying about me? I guess some things just don't change no matter what."

"Well, yeah," Stephanie shrugged. "You're my little brother. Who else am I supposed to take care of?"

After putting some Vaseline and ice on her brother's face, Stephanie was happy to discover that everything was in the exact same place she'd left it.

As Stephanie changed into sleepwear and climbed into her comfy bed, she thought, "_This is more like it." _

Just as she was closing her eyes, there was a knock at the door. "Steph?" asked Danny. "Are you asleep?"

"No," said Stephanie. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to say goodnight," said Danny with a smile. "I'm glad you're back."

"Yeah, me too," said Stephanie.

Danny closed her bedroom door, leaving Stephanie alone. There were so many things running through her head, she was starting to get nauseous.

She stared up at the ceiling and tried to relax. After what felt like forever, Stephanie finally managed to calm herself down enough to fall asleep. But rather than the dreams that she'd looked forward to for so long, Stephanie was faced with horrific nightmares of her time in hell. She relived each painful moment of it in her sleep. The endless screaming, torturing, bleeding, and dying seemed to ramble on like a broken record.

Worse yet, she even remembered what her torturer looked like. She remembered the look in his eyes as he carved into her. Chills ran down her spine when she saw him smile at her as if he was enjoying every minute of it. Stephanie could feel the cool metallic touch of the blade on her skin and the helplessness to fight back that came with it. She screamed as he plunged the knife into her chest. He leaned in closer to her and whispered softly in her ear.

_"I'm gonna cut your heart out."_

Stephanie forced herself awake and tried to ignore his whispered threat echoing in her brain. She ran her shaking hands down her body, conducting a quick inventory to make sure that everything was still in tact. After discovering that she was in one piece, Stephanie composed herself and headed for the bathroom.

Part of her was relieved that the whole thing had just been a nightmare. The other part was terrified. Her mind had been playing tricks on her when she was most vulnerable; an instant replay of something she wanted to forget. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and said to herself, _"This is gonna be harder than I thought."_

After she went through the motions of her old routine, Stephanie finally went off in search of coffee. In the kitchen, she found her father sitting at the table, a fresh cup of black coffee in his hands.

"Dad?" asked Stephanie, her voice full of caution. She wasn't sure if her father remembered the events of the night before.

Jerry slowly picked up his head and stared at his daughter.

"Stephanie?" asked Jerry. "Is that you?" His eyes widened as his brain registered the young woman in front of him.

"Yeah Dad, it's me," said Stephanie.

"Danny told me that you were...but I didn't believe..." said Jerry. He took a deep breath before he continued. "He told me the whole story this morning. He said that you were back."

"Well, he wasn't lying," said Stephanie offering a small smile.

Jerry got up from his chair and walked over to his daughter. He wrapped Stephanie in his arms and whispered, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Dad," said Stephanie.

With that, Danny walked through the front door, groceries in hand.

"Oh good. You're finally awake," joked Danny. "I picked up some groceries. Breakfast anyone?"

Jerry and Stephanie smiled at him, and sat down at the kitchen table.

While Danny was cooking, he and Jerry caught up with Stephanie. Even though he'd known where she'd been, Jerry was curious about the details.

"So, Steph," asked Jerry, hesitation in his voice. "What was it like?"

Stephanie stared. She'd expected to be interrogated by her brother, but never by her father. It was a tender subject with everyone at the moment, and Stephanie decided that she was only going to give them minimal details.

"Honestly," she said, "I don't remember much."

If it was up to her, Stephanie would've told them right then and there that she wanted to avoid discussing the topic at all costs. But for right now, she figured she'd entertain them. It was the first time in a long time that they were a family. It seemed as if all the darkness of their past had disappeared. Stephanie smiled inside at the feeling of normality.

"Well I think we're gonna have to find out why you got out," said Danny around a mouthful of bacon and eggs. "I mean, they just don't give away 'get-out-of-hell-for-free' cards. Someone or something had to help you."

"You're brother's right," said Jerry. "Hell's not the kind of place that you just walk out of. You gotta fight your way out. And even then, it's not an easy task."

"I didn't fight my way out," said Stephanie. "It just kinda, happened." She reverted her eyes back to her plate.

Jerry and Danny exchanged puzzled looks. "I think I'm gonna give Bobby a call," said Jerry. "Maybe he's dealt with something like this before. Let me see what he says and we'll take it from there."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Danny while Stephanie kept her eyes away from theirs, quietly shifting the food around her plate.

While Stephanie helped Danny with the dishes in the kitchen, Jerry headed into the living room. He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled down through the phone book. Finding the name he wanted, Jerry hit the green button and waited.

"Yeah?" said the gruff voice on the other end of the line.

"Bobby? It's Jerry."

"Oh heya, Jerry. What's goin' on? Haven't heard from you in a while," said Bobby.

"Yeah, I know it's been a while, but I have a question for you," said Jerry.

"Okay, shoot," said Bobby.

As Jerry explained to his friend the events of the last twelve hours, Bobby listened in silence on the other end. Part of Jerry wondered if Bobby understood what he was talking about. The other part worried if his friend was planning on having him committed.

"And I don't know what to do," Jerry finished. "Have you ever dealt with anything like this before?"

"Jerry," said Bobby, "I think we better talk about this in person."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The boys are finally making an appearance in this chapter! Yay! :) I hope I did their characters justice. **

**Note: Time frame for this story is right after season 4's "On the Head of A Pin", before "It's a Terrible Life".**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural. **

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Three**

"I don't understand you sometimes."

"What are you talkin' about, Sam?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Dean," said Sam as he glared at his brother. "You just got out of the hospital and all of a sudden you wanna drive to Bobby's in the middle of the night."

"Well I'm sure as hell not gonna let you drive," said Dean with a smile. "He left me a message saying he wanted us to meet him at his place. What's so wrong with that?"

"Nothing," said Sam. "I just thought that maybe we should lay low for a while. Ya know, give yourself some time to heal."

"Dude, I've already told you," said Dean. "I'm fine. Can we just drop it?"

"Yeah, whatever," sighed Sam.

"I got a question for you though," said Dean. "Why didn't you just let Alastair kill me?"

"You're kidding, right?" asked Sam. "I wasn't gonna let him get away it. I should've been there to help you. Besides, you're my brother, Dean, and you needed me, so I took care of it."

"Yeah, you took care of it alright," said Dean. "How'd you manage to kill him anyway?"

Sam tried to come up with a good lie to protect his dark cover. He knew that Dean wouldn't like the idea of Ruby helping him. He could only imagine what Dean would do if he found out that he'd resorted back to demon blood. Sam didn't want to admit to his brother that Ruby had been helping him. He knew better than that.

"I dunno," said Sam as he averted his eyes away from Dean.

"You don't know?" asked Dean, stealing a quick glance at his brother. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sam panicked and changed the subject. "So, what did Bobby say?"

Dean paused. Sam was avoiding the topic, and he was not in the mood to start arguing with him. Wrong place, wrong time. "Not much," he said, shaking his head. "He just said we should get our asses to his place as soon as possible."

"Okay. Wake me up if you want me to drive," said Sam as he tried to make himself comfortable in the front seat.

Dead nodded to himself and turned on the radio.

The next morning, Sam and Dean arrived at Bobby's salvage yard bright and early. They waited outside the front door for Bobby to let them in, the awkward silence reflecting the tension between them.

"Heya boys," said Bobby. "Glad you could make it."

"Yeah, sure thing, Bobby," said Sam. "Dean said your message sounded urgent. What's up?"

They followed Bobby into the kitchen and the three of them sat down at the kitchen table. As always, it was covered in big, old books and even older pieces of paper.

"What's will all the homework, Bobby?" asked Sam.

"Well," Bobby started. "An old friend of mine, Jerry, called me yesterday morning askin' if I'd ever dealt with anyone who came back from the dead."

"Seriously?" asked Dean. "He knows you're a hunter, right?"

Dean got up and helped himself to a cup of coffee while Sam started reading through some papers.

_"Zombies? Revanants? Shapeshifters? Bobby, what's all this for?"_ Sam thought to himself.

"Yeah," said Bobby. "He's a hunter too. Jerry first contacted me when his wife passed away twenty-five years ago. He was so broken up over it, he tried just about everythin' to bring her back. He got himself in trouble with an am mature summoning ritual, so I helped him out. I ended up convincin' the poor guy that what's dead should stay dead."

Sam and Bobby shifted their eyes to Dean, having heard that concept many times before.

"Anyway," Bobby continued, "he kinda got hooked onto the idea and raised his two kids to be hunters too. I listened to what he had to say and I told him that it'd be better if we talked about this face to face. They're on their way here now."

"Okay," said Sam, "so where do we come in?"

"Actually, I was kinda hoping you could talk to them, Dean," said Bobby.

"What? Why me?"

"Well, because I think you'd be able to relate," said Bobby. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"That's probably them," said Bobby. "Sit tight and I'll be right back."

The brothers exchanged puzzled looks as Bobby left them in the kitchen. When Bobby reached the front door, he fumbled with the locks for a minute then opened it.

"Jerry," said Bobby, "how are ya?"

"Hey, Bobby," said Jerry. "You remember Steph and Danny, right?"

"Sure I do," said Bobby. "Haven't seen you kids in a while. Come on in."

Jerry led his kids into Bobby's house. They stood near each other in the living room and waited for Bobby to say something.

"You two are really quiet, aren't ya," said Bobby.

"Oh yeah sure, now they are," joked Jerry. "I couldn't get them to shut up the entire ride."

"Ha ha," chuckled Bobby, "gotta love siblings." He turned to address Stephanie. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Bobby," said Stephanie, offering a comforting smile. "Thanks for letting us come see you. I know my Dad is confused about this whole thing. And to be honest, so am I."

"Well, we'll try to figure this out together," said Bobby. "As a matter of fact, there's someone I want you to meet. You two have a lot in common and he may be able to help."

"Um, okay," said Stephanie, a hint of hesitation in her voice. She glanced over at Danny for reassurance.

"Who are you talkin' about, Bobby?" asked Jerry.

"He's hunter friend of mine," said Bobby. "He's kinda like the son I never had. His Daddy raised him and his brother to be hunters after their Mom died. Then after he died, I started lookin' out for him myself."

Stephanie and Danny exchanged looks.

"Hang on a sec," said Bobby.

With that, Bobby left Stephanie with her father and brother. Jerry made himself comfortable on the couch while Danny remained near his sister. He didn't have many details about Stephanie's experience in hell, and he sensed that she was still adjusting to the idea of being back.

"Stephanie," said Bobby as he reentered the living room, two handsome young men following behind him, "this is Sam Winchester and his brother -"

Stephanie's eyes widened and her blood ran cold when she recognized the other man. "Dean."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for the great reviews! They certainly make me update faster. I hope to have two chapters up this week (this being one of them), but between midterms and life stuff, I'm not sure how much I'll actually get done. Now that I can finally update from home, things will be much easier. **

**A/N: Any and all mistakes are mine. **

**Summary: See chapter one.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.**

**~*~*~**

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Four**

An uncomfortable silence fell around the room.

"You don't remember me, do you?" asked Stephanie, shaking her head in disbelief.

Before Dean could answer, she turned and walked out of the house, hoping no one followed her.

Back inside, all eyes were on Dean, who looked dumbfounded.

"Dude, why was she looking at you like that?" asked Sam.

"I dunno," shrugged Dean.

"Have you ever seen her before?" asked Bobby.

"No, I have no idea who she is," said Dean.

"Was she, ya know, a friend of yours?" asked Sam. He used finger air quotes when he said "friend", knowing how loosely his brother used the term.

"What? No way," said Dean, defensively. "She's not my type."

"I thought every girl was your type, Dean," teased Sam.

"What the hell?" asked Dean, ignoring his little brother's comment. "Someone mind tellin' me what's goin' on here?"

Jerry stood up and walked over to where Sam and Dean were standing. They were talking about his daughter and he didn't like being treated as if he wasn't in the room hearing everything they were saying. He wasn't going to just sit there. "Look," Jerry began, "I don't know who you are, but if I didn't know any better, I'd say that it looked as if my daughter had just seen a ghost."

"Well then I guess she's not a good a hunter as you think she is," snapped Dean. "Especially if this is how she reacts when she sees a ghost." Jerry glared at him.

"Dean, come on, man," said Sam, "are you sure you don't recognize her? She was lookin' at you like you two know each other from somewhere."

"Yes, Sam. I'm sure."

~*~*~

"Steph, where are you?" called Danny. He'd snuck out of the house unnoticed. He had no idea she was going to react that way. Then again, he didn't know what sort of surprise Bobby had hidden up his sleeve.

"Come on," he tried again after no response. "This isn't funny. I just wanna talk to you."

Stephanie had always been good a hiding. When they were kids, they use to play hide-and-seek all the time. Danny was always the one looking for his sister because she always managed to find all the good spots. He was just about to shout "Ollie, ollie, ot sin free" when he spotted her.

Stephanie was leaning up against the side of an old Chevy towards the back of the yard, shoulders slouched and head down. As Danny got closer, he noticed that she'd been crying. Danny couldn't help but wonder, _"Who the hell was this Dean guy, and what did he do to my sister?"_

"Steph, you okay?" he asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Stephanie sniffled and picked her head up. "Yeah, Danny," she said. "I'm good."

"You wanna talk about what happened in there?" he asked.

"You wouldn't understand, believe me," said Stephanie.

"What wouldn't I understand? Why are you blocking me?"

"I'm not blocking you, Danny. I just don't feel like talking about it right now, okay?"

"Fine," he said, feeling rejected, "but I'm here if you need me." Danny turned around and started walking back towards the house. Stephanie sighed a breath of relief as she regained her solitude.

~*~*~

"Maybe you should go talk to her," suggested Bobby.

"You really think that's the best thing to do right now?" asked Dean.

"Bobby might be right," said Sam. "I mean, you probably just surprised her or something. There was no way she could have known you were gonna be here."

"None of us knew you were gonna be here," said Jerry. It was official: he didn't like Dean.

Just then, Danny walked into the living room. "What's goin' on?"

"Nothin'," said Jerry. "Dean was just gonna go talk to your sister."

"Um, yeah, I don't think that's such a great idea," said Danny.

"Why not?"

"Because I just spoke to her and she's not in the mood to talk."

"See? If she doesn't wanna talk to him," said Dean, pointing at Danny, "what would make you think she'd wanna talk to me?"

"Dean, " Bobby started, "she's the reason I told you to come here in the first place. I think it might be best if you talked to her."

"Fine," said Dean. "If it'll get everyone off my back. Where is she?"

"Out in the back," said Danny, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder. "Good luck finding her though. She's a good hider."

Without another word, Dean left the house in search of Stephanie.

~*~*~

It didn't take him long to find her. Stephanie was in the exact same spot that Danny said she was; leaning up against the old, dusty Chevy.

"_Well, I can say one thing for the girl, she's got good taste," _Dean thought to himself.

Stephanie saw him walking towards her out of the corner of her eye. He was the last person she wanted to talk to right now, but she'd figured that this was all Danny's doing. She assumed that her brother had sent Dean out to talk to her because he wasn't being successful.

"Hey, Stephanie," said Dean. His voice sent shivers down her spine. Suddenly, she felt the familiar fear begin to rise as memories of their last meeting flashed before her eyes. She tried to rapidly blink the tears away, but she couldn't erase the image of him walking towards her, freshly sharpened razor in hand and a smirk across his face. The whole situation was making her sick to her stomach.

Dean walked up beside her and leaned on the side of the car. "Look, um," he started, "I honestly don't know what I'm supposed to say here. I swear I don't remember you. It'd really help if you gave me a hint."

"I don't believe you," she finally said, her eyes averting his. "I thought that of all those people, you'd remember me."

Dean racked his brain and came up with nothing. "Yeah, I'm gonna need a little bit more than..."

Stephanie turned and faced him. Without the slightest hesitation, she cut him off and said, "It was me, Dean. I'm the weeping bitch whose blood you shed to break the first seal."

**A/N: The evil plot bunnies told me to stop there. Chapter 5 should be up tomorrow. Thanks for reading, and please review. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This chapter is a little bit more graphic. Nothing too disturbing, but you have been warned nonetheless. **

**Note: For this story, Stephanie was in hell for six months from August 2008 to February 2009. August was Dean's 3rd month, or 30th year mark, and that's when he agreed to begin torturing souls, starting with Stephanie. I am approximating that "On the Head of a Pin" took place around February 2009, based on the air-date. I hope that makes sense. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.**

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Five**

_~August 2008~_

_Scattered screams drowned out the sounds of flesh being ripped, scorched, and sizzled fresh off the bone. In an effort to distract himself from his own torture, Dean strained his ears trying to focus on them. He tried not to watch as the demon made slice after slice, tear after tear through his flesh. His efforts were futile, and a new level of fear crept inside him when he realized the screams were coming from his own lips._

_It had just been another day at the office; another massively horrific, bloody, day at the office._

_The demon set down his razor, wiped the crimson life juice off his hands and face, and then slowly approached Dean. Taking his face in his hands, Alastair asked, "So whaddya say, Deano? Have you had enough yet? Wouldn't you like to come down from there and see what all the fun is about? Or shall I, how'd you put it, stick it?"_

_He'd asked Dean the very same question at the end of every day for thirty years. Dean always replied in the negative, wishing he could have flipped the demon off for added emphasis. From day one, Dean had managed to come up with good reasons to say no. To his regret, he knew in his heart that one day he'd finally agree. He knew that Alastair would eventually find a way to break him._

_When his question went unanswered, Alastair snapped his fingers and Dean felt himself magically becoming whole again. Readying himself for yet another round, Alastair had picked up a blood stained cleaver. Before he could begin, a soft voice came from man on the rack in front of him._

_"What did you say? I didn't quite hear you," said Alastair._

_Dean picked up his head to look the demon in the eye and said, "Yes."_

"_Excellent," the demon sneered. Another snap of his fingers and the hooks and chains that were holding Dean in midair were gone. _

"_You made the right choice. I knew you'd want in sooner or later," said Alastair. "We have a nice piece of fresh meat on the way down, and as a gift to you; I'll let you have first dibs."_

_Dean shot a confused look back at the demon. "What?"_

_If he hadn't seen it with his own two eyes, Dean wouldn't have believed it. There before him was a girl, a young woman, dangling in mid air like meat on a hook, taking his place on the rack. Blood from the wounds that the hell hounds inflicted upon her was still fresh on her clothes. She was screaming, crying and begging for them to let her go. She began to struggle against hooks and chains that were deeply inserted into her flesh, keeping her in place, leaving her helpless and vulnerable._

_Dean took his eyes away from her, and began to examine the different instruments on the table next to him. Finally deciding on the razor, Dean turned to the girl and slowly approached her._

_Alastair smiled at Dean's choice of weapon. "See, you're a natural."_

"_No, please," she cried, "please don't..." Dean started walking towards her, a nasty smirk crossing his face._

_He didn't care what she had to say. He finally had his turn to do some carving. He was given an opportunity to take out all the anger and frustration he had for Alastair on someone he had no emotional connection to; a mere stranger. _

_Without taking a moment to reconsider his decision, Dean plunged the razor into her stomach, and then slowly dragged it to the top of her torso. Her scream echoed through the depths of hell as he carved and sliced through her flesh. He leaned in closer to her and whispered softly in her ear._

"_I'm gonna cut your heart out."_

_Blood that was flowing freely from the new wounds slid down her body and created a small puddle on the dirty floor near Dean's feet. Seconds later, the puddle was gone, and the first seal had been broken._

~Present~

For the first time in his life, Dean Winchester was speechless. A combination of fear, shock, disbelief and nerves came over him like a tidal wave, knocking the wind out of him. He didn't know what to say, or how to react. He couldn't figure out how she knew about this. It'd only been last week that he'd learned that the breaking of the first seal was entirely his fault, and he hadn't said a word about it to anyone. Not even Sam. Her confession stung like salt in the wound left behind by Alastair and Castiel's words.

The truth was he did remember her. And that realization scared him. He remembered the site of her dangling on the rack in his place, crying out for her father and someone named Danny. He remembered how he felt after the first time he cut into her: the rush of adrenaline that pumped through his veins. He fed off the enjoyment and satisfaction that came with being permitted and encouraged to bleed another human being. It was complete euphoria.

Stephanie didn't unlock her eyes from his face. The fear that had been clearly present in her eyes had now seemed to have found a new home in his. Sensing that he was having some trouble finding the right words to say, Stephanie said, "You do remember me, don't you? You're just afraid to admit it."

Finally managing to gather his thoughts, Dean cleared his throat and asked, "How'd you know about the seals?"

Slightly taken aback by his choice of conversation topic, Stephanie said, "Everyone down there knew about it, Dean. That is, everyone except you and me."

"_Typical demon M.O.,"_ he thought.

"Of course they weren't stupid enough to say something at the time, but they wouldn't shut up about it after you disappeared." She gave him a chance to absorb what she was saying before continuing. "After you left, many of them were happy. I thought that was kinda odd because you seemed to be so well liked. I overheard them saying that it didn't matter that you were gone because nothing could stop their father now. It'd been done and the wheels were set in motion or something like that," she said. "Others were genuinely pissed off. They kept saying that you belonged down there with them, and that the contract had somehow been breached. Of course Alastair was the leader of the gang. He was annoyed that he'd lost his best pupil, but he got over it."

"_Oh yeah, he got over it alright,"_ Dean thought sarcastically. "So they knew then and there that something had started," he said, "and they knew it was entirely my fault."

"Yeah, I guess so. It seemed like that was the plan."

"Why didn't they say something? Why didn't you say something?"

"Oh, you mean while you were happily messing around with my insides? I'm sorry, but I was kinda being tortured in the middle of this whole thing, while you were having the time of your life." Her answer was full of sarcasm and bitterness. "Besides, it's not like there was anything either of us could've done at that point."

Dean pondered his response for a moment, and said, "Well, I'd have to agree with you there. I don't think there's much that can be done up here either."

"I guess we're gonna have to trust each other, and figure this out together."

"Oh, that's just perfect," said Dean, rolling his eyes. "No offense, but I'm not sure we'll make a good team. Especially with all the things you're gonna hold against me."

Stephanie looked up at him. Burying all of her memories from hell wasn't going to easy and it was going to be even harder if Dean was going to be around. But somehow, she had a feeling that she'd be able to handle it.

"Hey, I knew what I was in for when made that deal to save my brother. I made peace with my fate and was well prepared to face an eternity of damnation. Next thing I knew..." She trailed off and nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders.

"Let me guess," said Dean, "you woke up in a pine box and had to climb your way out of the ground only to find yourself in the middle of no where?"

"Not exactly," said Stephanie.

"Salt and burn?" asked Dean.

"That'd be a neat trick, huh?" said Stephanie, shaking her head. "Nope. They buried me in the backyard."

Before Dean could respond, Jerry's voice called out, "Stephanie? Where are you?"

Stephanie sighed on the inside and called back, "We're over here."

Her father's head popped out from around a corner of old cars that were stacked high. "Oh," said Jerry when he saw his daughter standing with Dean. "Are you ever comin' back inside? I brought you here so we could figure this thing out. You're no help to us if you're standin' out here." _"With him,"_ he added mentally.

"Yeah, Dad," she said, "we'll be right in." Without acknowledging Dean's presence, Jerry turned on his heel and headed back for the house.

After making sure her father was out of ear-shot, "Believe it or not, Dean, I'm not looking for an apology. It's just that," she sighed before continuing, "when my Dad told me we were coming to see Bobby, I didn't know you were gonna be here. I was exactly expecting to see you. Besides, everything that happened can't be changed or taken back. So for now, how about we keep this our little secret?"

Without another word, Stephanie turned away from him and headed back to the house.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello all. I sincerely apologize for taking so long to update. Now that finals are over and the summer has officially begun, I'll be able to post chapters more often. I hope you enjoy this chapter & thanks for sticking with me.**

**A/N: FYI - This chapter is a little more AU than the previous ones (if that's even possible). **

**A/N: As always, any and all mistakes are mine. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural.**

_**Righteous: morally upright; without guilt or sin; in accordance with virtue or morality; morally justifiable. **_

_**Blood: a vital or animating force.**_

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Six**

When Stephanie finally reached the house, she took a deep breath and walked inside. She saw her father and brother sitting with Sam and Bobby at the table in what use to be the dining room. Danny picked his head up from the book he'd stuck his nose in and looked at his sister. He instantly picked up on the distant look in her eye and the clear emotional sadness across her face. She'd become unnaturally quiet over the past hour, ever since they arrived at Bobby's and recognized that Dean guy.

When he saw that Danny had looked up, Jerry turned around to see his daughter standing in the doorway. He closed the book that he'd been reading and approached his daughter. Putting an arm around her shoulders, he said, "Are you okay, honey?"

Stephanie looked up at her father, smiled, and said, "Yeah, Dad. Why wouldn't I be?"

Jerry shrugged and said, "I think it's about time we got down to business. Whaddaya think, Bobby?"

"To be honest, based on what you guys have told me, I got nothing'," said Bobby. "I mean, we've been lookin' through books that date back a few centuries, and I don't see anything that offers an explanation." _Other than angels...but let's not open that door._

"Yeah, but we just started looking," said Danny. "We'll keep searching until we find an answer."

"Why can't you all just accept the fact that I'm back?" said Stephanie, anger filling her voice. She stepped away from her father, pointed at herself and said, "I'm here, I'm safe and we're a family again. Why do you always have to go around poking your nose in other people's business?"

"Excuse me, Stephanie," said Jerry, "but you are _my_ daughter, and _his_ sister. That makes you our business and if we want to find out how you got outta hell, then we will."

"Fine," said Stephanie as she threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know why you just can't leave well enough alone." She stormed out of the room and headed upstairs. Figuring she needed some time to cool off, Jerry and Danny turned back to their books and continued reading. Sam and Bobby, on the other hand, exchanged puzzled looks.

"Are we sure we want to keep poking around here?" asked Sam. "Maybe we should listen to her. Be glad she's back. Don't try to make matters worse."

"Like you'd know what this is like for us," said Danny. "You have no idea how we feel. You don't know what it's like to watch your sister die in front of you and then imagine her in hell. Yeah, that's right, Sammy. My sister made the ultimate sacrifice and went to hell for me. I bet you can't say the same for that brother of yours."

"I'm the only one who can call him Sammy, ass hat," said Dean from the doorway. No one had heard him walk back into the house over all the shouting and arguing.

"Who are you calling ass hat, you son of a…" started Jerry, but Bobby interjected.

"Knock it off, both of you," said Bobby. "You're actin' like a bunch of idjits an' it's not helping."

Dean, Jerry and Danny all glared angrily at each other. The attitude problems between them were only going to make this case harder. It's difficult to work with people who hate each other.

Bobby sighed, turned to Jerry and Danny, and said, "Look, you guys came here because you're tryin' to figure out how Stephanie managed to get out of hell. And I called Sam and Dean here because I know that they can help you guys out."

"So what, you guys think you know something about something?" asked Jerry.

"Oh we know plenty," said Dean as he walked over to the table and sat next to Sam. "Enough to make us dangerous." He smirked up at them.

"Mister tough guy over here," said Danny, gesturing to Dean with his thumb.

"Hey, if you don't believe us, there's the door," said Sam. "But we're here to help you. You need to listen to us."

Jerry and Danny looked skeptical for a minute. This was all hard for them to believe because they'd never heard of anyone walking out of hell. At least not until Stephanie.

"Okay, fine," said Jerry. "We'll hear you out and work with you on this one. But only because it's Stephanie. Got it?"

Sam and Dean nodded in response. Bobby said. "Good. Now that that's all settled, where do we start?"

"Why don't you start by asking me?" said Stephanie, who'd returned from upstairs. Apparently, she'd composed herself in private and was able to stand in Dean's presence again. She averted eye contact with everyone and sat down at the table, across from Dean.

"Okay," said Sam. "What do you remember?"

"Well, let's see," she said, leaning her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her hand. "I remember being ripped to shreds and dying. That was fun." She paused. "I remember the dark coldness that surrounded me and how I welcomed it." She stopped and looked up at her brother and father.

Jerry and Danny stood there with their mouths open and stared at her. It'd been the first time anyone talked about that night. Even while Stephanie was gone, neither of them said a word about it to each other.

"What about hell? Do you remember anything from it?" asked Sam. Dean gave his brother a curious look.

Stephanie shook her head and said, "I don't remember much. It all kinda comes back to me in flashes. I remember it was dark, and the air was filled with screams. I couldn't feel anything, but my brain knew that my body was being tortured." She paused again and looked at Dean. "It definitely brings fear to a totally different level."

Dean was hoping she wasn't going to say anything. She'd asked him to promise to keep it their little secret and he planned to keep it that way.

"That's it?" asked Sam. "Is that everything?"

"Well, the next thing I knew, I woke up in a box buried in our backyard," said Stephanie. "I had to dig and crawl my way out of the ground."

Bobby and Sam looked over at Dean. Stephanie's story had matched Dean's to a science, almost as if they'd planned it that way. Her story had sparked Sam's curiosity and Dean knew it. There was no way Dean was getting away without explaining himself.

When Sam didn't ask another awkward question, Dean breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Well, sounds like we got out work cut out for us, huh?"

"Yeah, we sure do," said Danny. "But you said that they'd be able to help us, Bobby. I haven't heard anything that makes the qualified to do so."

"Well, that's a long story," said Dean. "And I thought story time was over for the day."

"Spill it," said Jerry as he folded his arms over his chest. "I wanna hear this."

"Okay," started Dean, who looked over at his brother, "about two years ago something bad happened to my little brother over here. Something that I didn't think I'd ever manage to survive."

Sam couldn't believe his ears. He and Dean never talked about what happened in Cold Oak. It was the first time his brother had opened up about the events and Sam wasn't sure if the wanted to hear it.

"Sammy and I got separated and I wasn't there to save him. Some…kid named Jake attacked and stabbed him in the back. I was too late to save him and he…" Dean paused for a moment before continuing. "He died in my arms that night. I couldn't believe how alone and numb I felt. I knew I couldn't live with him dead, so I sold my soul to bring him back. That red-eyed demon bitch only gave me one year to live before dragging me to hell. I woke up in a pine box four months later."

Everyone stared at him. "That's my story in a nutshell," he added. "Happy now?"

A few minutes passed before anyone said anything. Jerry finally said, "Okay, so you were in hell and Steph was in hell. And you both have pretty much the same story. I dunno, but it sounds like this is gonna be harder than we thought."

"Wait a minute," said Sam. "What do you mean 'same story'?"

"Stephanie sold her soul for me, just like Dean did for you, Sam," said Danny. "They did it to protect us. The most self-righteous thing they could do."

**A/N: I hope you guys liked this chapter. Now that I have a general idea of where the story is headed, I'll be able to post chapters faster. Please don't forget the feed the plot bunnies and review. Thanks! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks to all who read and reviewed! You guys are awesome! This chapter is a short flasback of Stephanie's deal-making scene (because we already know Dean's side of the story). I hope you guys like it. **

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Seven**

**_~August 2007~_**

**_Crossroads_**

_Stephanie fell to her knees. With tears in her eyes, she shoved her hands deep into the cold ground, dirt accumulating underneath her polished fingernails. She placed the box inside the hole and stood up. Her eyes frantically searched down each of the roads surrounding her. To her great disappointment, there was no one to be seen. _

_After what felt like forever, she finally shouted to the darkness, "Come on already! What are you waiting for?"_

"_Calm down, sweetie pie," called a cool voice from behind her. "I heard you call me." _

_Stephanie turned around and saw a man standing a few feet away from her. The first thing she noticed was how gorgeous he was. Stephanie had never seen anyone so beautiful in her entire life; especially a man. He was tall and muscular, had short blonde hair, and was wearing a black suit, white collared shirt, and red necktie. The kind of guy she'd always dreamed of being with. _

"_It's you, isn't it," said Stephanie, her voice shaking slightly._

_He smiled at her and flashed his red eyes. "You called me, didn't you?" _

_Stephanie said nothing. Instead, she put her game face on and waited. _

"_Let me guess," the demon began, as he started to walk towards her, "you're here to make a deal."_

_In an instant, all the color drained from Stephanie's face. They both knew exactly why she was there. _

"_Ah, I see," the demon taunted." So you're offering up your own soul in exchange for your brother's life." He chuckled at the idea. _

"_What's so funny?" asked Stephanie._

"_Nothing," said the demon, shaking his head. He walked around her in a circle, like an animal __suffocating its prey. _

"_Can you do it?" asked Stephanie. She could feel her patience slipping away._

_He offered her a wicked smile in reply._

"_Then do it," said Stephanie. "Bring Danny back and give me my ten years."_

_He walked up to her and said directly to her face, "Ten years?"_

"_Isn't that what you give to everyone. Ten years from the day the deal is made. And then you come for me."_

"_I know how the system works, darlin'," he said. "But why should I make an exception for you?"_

"_What are you talking about?" asked Stephanie. She was officially on her last nerve._

"_Ya know, for a hunter, you're not too bright," he taunted. "I thought you would've guessed by now."_

"_Stop messing around!" shouted Stephanie. "Bring my brother back and give me my ten years!"_

"_No," he said cooly. _

"_No?" she repeated. "Why not?"_

"_Honey," he began, "I have no problem bringing Danny boy back from the great beyond, but I do have a problem with your end of the bargain."_

_Stephanie looked at him, confusion crossing her face. _

"_Your brother gets his life back, exactly they way he was; one hundred percent Danny, back in action," he said. "But you, buttercup," he ran a hand through her hair, "you get one year."_

"_What?" said Stephanie, her voice a mere whisper. "You can't do that."_

"_Oh no? Would you like to go right now? I'm sure arrangements can be made -"_

"_No," she said, feeling defeated. She couldn't help but wonder, "why only one year?"_

_The demon sighed. "You hunters aren't the brightest crayons in the box, are ya? You see, deals may be my area of expertise, but I get the newsletter. I know exactly what's going on up here at all times. You're all out to get us. Hunting us down one by one and sending us back to hell. Some of you have even managed to kill us."_

"_What are you talking about? I'm not here to play games."_

"_Neither am I, but you asked so I'm answering. I don't treat hunters like normal people. Other people who have bargained with me in the past had no idea who they were dealing with. You, on the other hand, know exactly who I am."_

_He leaned in close to her ears so she could hear him whisper, "Besides, I get serious cookie points if make a deal with a hunter."_

_Stephanie's mind was racing. She needed her brother back. It was her fault he died and she promised that she'd do anything to bring him back. Even if it meant dealing with a demon. Even if it meant dying._

_He moved his head away from her and stared. He could see the wheels in her head turning. His patience was running on empty._

"_So do we have a deal, or not?" he finally asked, flashing his red eyes again. _

_Stephanie looked up at him, her decision made. She pulled him close to her and sealed the deal._

_**~Family's hidden cabin; after the deal is made.~**_

"_Dad?"_

_Jerry quickly got up from his chair and rushed to his son's side. _

"_Dad, is that you?" asked Danny. "Wh-what happen'd?_

"_Shh, it's okay, Danny," said Jerry, as he tried to reassure his son. "Everythin' is gonna be fine. Just rest now, okay? I'm right here if you need me."_

_Danny nodded at his father and rested his head back on his pillow. Jerry waited until his son fell into a deep sleep before he sat back and sighed. _

_At the same moment, Stephanie walked through the front door. She peered into her brother's bedroom and was sad to find him lying still on the bed. _

"Please don't tell me it didn't work," _she thought to herself. _"After all that, the son of a bitch didn't even keep his end of the bargain."

"_Stephanie," said Jerry, "is that you?"_

"_Yeah, Dad," said Stephanie. She stood in the doorway to Danny's room and Jerry walked towards her. _

"_Can I speak to you for a moment?"_

_Jerry led her into the kitchen, turned around and said, "what did you do?"_

"_What are you talking about?" _

"_You were gone all night. I sat with your brother's body all night. You should have been here. You're not the only one in mourning."_

"_Dad," she began, "I didn't mean to leave you like that. There was something...something I had to do." She started at the floor, trying not to look her father in the eye._

"_Like what Stephanie? Hmm? What could be so important that you don't stay with your family when they need you?"_

_Stephanie looked up at her father, but didn't say anything._

"_No," said Jerry, disbelief in his voice. "Please tell me you didn't." There recent encounter with the crossroads demon fresh in his mind. That young girl in Indiana sold her soul for her boyfriend, who then dumped her after she told him what she'd done. _"Great guy," _Jerry thought to himself that night. They all knew how it worked and they tried to save the girl from her fate, but they failed. The contract was that concrete. _

"_I had to, Dad," confessed Stephanie. "I couldn't live with him dead." _

"_So you sold your soul to a demon?" Jerry's voice was loud and fierce. "Haven't I taught you anything?" _

"_This isn't a reflection on you," said Stephanie, tears pooling at the corners of her eyes. _

"_Like hell it isn't," said Jerry. He paused to recollect himself before he continued. "How long did you get?"_

"_Dad...," said Stephanie. _

"_How. Long. Did. You. Get?" _

"_One year," she said, the tears slowly sliding down her cheeks. "It gave me one year, Dad."_

_"Damn it, Stephanie," said Jerry, his voice much calmer now. He pulled his daughter into his arms, as if creating a shield around her. _

_Stephanie broke their hug and said, _"_You have to do me a favor. You have to promise me that you won't tell Danny." _

_Jerry stared blankly at his daughter, love and concern in his eyes, and said, _"_Stephanie, he's gonna find out sooner or later."_

"_I know, but I want to be the one to tell him."_

"_Tell me what?" came a voice from the hallway. _

_**~Flashforward - 1 year~**_

_High in the church's clock tower, bells ringing to signal the midnight hour echo in the night. They'd chosen this church on this particular night because Jerry knew that it'd been where both his children were baptized as infants, and he hoped that counted for something in the fight for his daughter's life and soul. _

_Inside, Stephanie closes her eyes, willing the tears not to fall, as she hears the bells chime. She knows her time is up. It's only a matter of seconds before the hell hounds come for her. _

_The bells ring the twelvth time and she opens her fear-filled eyes. Before she can prepare herself, she sees two of the demonic pit bulls in the corner of her eye. She knows that neither Danny nor her father can see them and she tries to remain calm as she looks up at them. _

_She doesn't utter a single word. They had a year to tell each other how they felt, and if they didn't say it then, now certainly was not the time. She wishes she could find the words to say to make them feel better, but her mouth and brain are having trouble connecting. _

_Sensing something else in the room, but their eyes failing them, Jerry and Danny drop their weapons on the ground and wait. Stephanie shifts her eyes to her brother and father; never taking her eyes off of them until the hell hounds approach. _

_When they attack, she puts up a fight; a sad attempt to delay the inevitable. _

_And the end comes anyway._

*****You've read it...now review it. Please? **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for reading and reviewing the last chapter. I'm glad you guys are still sticking around for more. This chapter is a little longer, but I hope you like it anyway. Enjoy!**

**A/N: Any and all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters. **

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Eight**

Dean never would have classified his deal as "self-righteous". He justified his actions simply by telling himself that Sam is his brother, the only family he had left, so what else was he supposed to do. All his life, the mantra was "watch out for Sammy", and there was no way Dean was going to let an error on his part stop him from doing his job.

"Sounds like both of our brothers have a knack for getting into trouble, huh?" Stephanie said to Dean, trying to lighten the mood in the room.

"So, what happened?" asked Sam.

"We were hunting a Wendigo, and things got outta hand. I messed up and left Danny out in the open. It came up behind him and attacked. Needless to say, he didn't make it back to the car," said Stephanie. "The guilt and anger were weighing me down, so I summoned the crossroad demon and sold my soul to get him back. Just like you, Dean." She paused at looked up at him. "Believe it or not, I knew exactly what I was doing at the time. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Just then, there was a muffled sound coming from the far right corner of the room. A cool breeze passed through the room, casuing loose papers had fallen from their place on top of a side table and shelves.

"Good, you're all here," said the angel as he fixed his trademark trenchcoat. He approached Stephanie and said, "I am Castiel, an angel of the Lord."

Stephanie panicked and didn't know what to say. Her brain finally managed to produce, "Uh, hi."

"Cas, what are you doing here?" asked Dean.

"I am here to make sure you two met. In person, this time. I see you've beaten me to it."

"I'm sorry, but, what's going on? I feel like I'm missing something," said Stephanie.

"Stephanie, I am Castiel, an ang-."

"Yeah, an angel, I got that. But what do you want?"

"I wanted to properly introduce myself. I'm the one who saved you from hell."

STephanie blinked a few times before saying, "I'm sorry. You what?"

"He's right, Steph," confirmed Dean. "He saved me too."

"But why? It doesn't make sense. The demon told me the contract was binding and permanent. How did you ever manage to..." She was completely flabbergasted.

"Because God commanded it," said Cas. Stephanie and Dean looked up at the angel.

"What?" they asked in unison.

"You two started this together, and now you have to end this together," clarified Castiel.

This whole thing wasn't making any sense to Dean. Just last week, Castiel was telling him how the fate of the entire world rested on his shoulders, and now there's a chick here to help him. _"Damn it, Cas. I wish you'd get your story straight and give me some real answers for once."_

"But...why? Why save me?"

"God commanded that you be saved, just like Dean," said Castiel. "There is a connection between you two that will help our side win. As it is written, when a righteous man sheds blood in hell...as he breaks, so shall it break."

"Yeah, Cas, that's not helping," said Dean. He'd heard the same line before from Alastair, and Castiel's confirmation only worried him more.

"You both have righteous blood. You both died willingly for your siblings' lives; a cause you both found morally right and justifiable," Castiel explained. "Dean, you told me to find someone else, so I did. Or well, actually, God did. He brough her back so you'd have a way to fight this war. Together."

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna work Cas," said Dean. "We're too different."

"Too different? Are you kidding me?" said Sam. "She's like a female version of you. It's kinda creepy."

"Thanks, Sam," Stephanie joked.

"I don't understand. They started what, exactly?" asked Jerry.

Castiel turned to Dean and asked, "You didn't tell them?" Dean stared back at him, a blank expression on his face.

"Someone better start talkin' before I start throwin' punches," Jerry threatened, getting annoyed.

Dean and Stephanie exchanged looks. Neither of them was going to tell their story because they'd promised to keep it strictly between them. Dean silently cursed Castiel for bringing up the topic again.

Stephanie decided to satisfy her father's curiousity. She started, "Dad, what you have to understand is that no one here knew what was going on at the time. No grudges are being held and we're gonna try to help each other."

"Steph, I am on my last nerve. What the hell is going on?" Jerry said, his voice loud and intimidating.

"The Apocalypse is upon us," said Castiel, flatly.

Sam and Dean shot him dangerous looks. The angel shrugged innocently.

"Yeah, right," said Danny in disbelief.

"I do not lie. Angels can't lie," said Castiel.

"Wait a sec," said Jerry, putting his hand up to stop anyone else from talking. "Angels? The Apocalypse? As in...hell on earth?"

"I know how crazy it sounds, but it's true," said Dean.

Jerry ignored himl, turned to Castiel, and said, "How do you know this?"

"He really is an angel," said Sam. Jerry stared at him. He couldn't believe his ears.

"Jerry, you have to believe us," said Bobby, trying to reassure his friend.

"Like hell I do," said Jerry.

"Dad," said Stephanie, "let me explain. For once, just hear me out. Then everthing will make sense." Jerry waited.

Stephanie took a deep breath and continued, "I never told you what it was like. Maybe I should have, because then you might have a better understanding of the situation. While I was there, I met Dean and you might say we have a sort of history..."

"I thought we weren't gonna -," Dean started, but Stephanie cut him off.

"Dean, it's okay," she said. "They're gonna find out sooner or later." She gave him a reassuring smile. Dean, on the other hand, was not looking forward to the impending conversation.

"Anwyay, imagine being alone in the dark forever while being endlessly tortured by forces you can't even being to understand. Hell feeds off of your worst nightmares, with screams, blood, fear, and evil filling the spaces in between. It's like dying everyday for eighty years. There were times when I'd feel like I was hallucinating and on the brink of insanity. I kept telling myself it was all a bad dream, and that I was going to wake up one day and be with my family again. But he just kept on carving."

"Who is 'he', Steph?" asked Jerry, concern and sympathy replacing the anger in his voice.

"Me."

Stunned silence fell over the room. Everyone turned their heads towards Dean.

"You wanna run that by me again?" asked Jerry.

Danny stood up and walked over to his father's side. He knew Jerry's patience was running thin and how his father gets when he's angry. Most importantly, he didn't want anyone to get hurt.

"It was me. I'm the one who's responsible for this whole mess," said Dean.

"Boy, you have some serious explaining to do," said Jerry, anger returning to his voice.

"Dad, listen to me," said Stephanie. "Dean didn't know what he was doing at the time, okay? I'm not angry at him because I brought it upon myself. He had no idea of the consequences of his actions."

"How could you not be angry at him, Stephanie? He tortured you. In hell of all places! He said it himself! He's responsible for this whole mess!"

"Because we decided to work together to stop this," said Dean.

Stephanie gave him a curious look. "What changed your mind?"

Dean looked back at her, but didn't reply.

"I'm not talkin' to you, you son of a bitch," snapped Jerry.

"Jerry, I'm sure if you let Dean explain, you'd under-," tried Sam.

"Explain? Explain what? There's nothing he can say to make this better." Jerry turned to his children and said, "Come on, let's get out of here."

Dean grabbed his arm and said, "That's not a good idea, Jerry. You gotta listen to us."

Unable to control his anger anymore, Jerry turned around and connected his fist with Dean's jaw, knocking him off balance. Dean shook it off and approached to retaliate, but Sam stopped him.

"Dean! Don't!" said Sam, pulling his brother back from taking a swing at Jerry.

"No Sam! If he wants our help, he's gotta listen to us," said Dean.

"Yeah, well, it's gonna be kind hard for him to hear you if you knock him unconscious," rationed Sam.

"Yeah, not too bright on your part, Dean," taunted Jerry.

Dean tried to break away from Sam, but his brother managed to keep his gigantor-like hold on him. Bobby wasn't going to let this continue any further, so he stepped in and said, "I think it'd be best if you took him outside, Sam. Let 'em cool off a little."

"Me? I'm not the one who's throwing punches around here."

"Bobby's right, Dean," said Sam. "Let's go outside for a while. Let Bobby talk to Jerry and we'll get back to arguing later."

Dean didn't say anything as he begrudgingly walked past Jerry, Danny and Stephanie. As soon as he stepped outside Bobby's house and felt the warm sun on his face, he felt better. He couldn't believe this was happening. Just once, he'd like to have any easy case. He and Sam hadn't faced anything "easy" in a long time. A little too long for his liking.

"And you're gonna blame _me_ for keeping secrets?" asked Sam, once they were both outside and clear of earshot. "How long have you known this?"

"Known what?" asked Dean. "That I broke the first seal and started this whole mess? Or that Steph was the first person I..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. He didn't want to go down that road again.

"Both!" said Sam. "Why were you keeping this from me?"

"Hey, it's news to me too, Sam," said Dean.

"But why wouldn't you tell me? I asked if you were okay and, like always, you said you were fine. How am I supposed to help you if you don't talk to me?" Sam felt like he was finally beginning to understand where Dean was coming from. His big brother was keeping secrets to protect him. Just like Sam was doing.

"Didn't you hear Cas? It's me and Steph in this war together. We started it and now we'll finish it," said Dean.

"So that's how you want it to be," said Sam. "You don't want me around?"

"I didn't say that, Sammy," said Dean. "I just figured you'd be teaming up with Ruby from now on."

Sam couldn't believe his ears. "So you think I'd pick her over you? Dean, you've gotta be kidding me. You're my brother. She's a demon. No contest."

As serious as his tone was, Dean couldn't bring himself to believe Sam. He made it sound like he was trying to convince both of them.

When Dean didn't reply, Sam said, "I thought we were in this together."

Dean shook his head. "I can't have you do this, Sam. This blood is on my hands. I don't want you getting mixed up in my problems."

"This isn't your problem, Dean," said Sam. "It's our problem."

"You weren't in hell with me," said Dean. "You didn't bring this on. I did. Do you know how much I've wish I'd known that I was doing at the time? I wish I could take it all back. I swear I didn't know what I was doing." He could feel his eyes filling up with tears. He wouldn't allow Sam to see him cry again. _"No chick-flick moments, Winchester,"_ he kept telling himself.

"What are you talkin' about? We all just found out once Stephanie told us about..."

"No Sam. I already knew about the seals, thanks to Cas and Alastair. I didn't know how Stephanie was involved until she told me earlier in the yard."

"Dean," said Castiel as he appeared at his side. "I think it's safe to go back inside now. Her father has seemed to calm down."

"Thanks, Cas," said Dean, half-heartedly. He headed back into the house without saying another word to Sam.

Dean knew what he had to do. And he had every intention of doing it. With or without his brother.

**A/N: Evil plot bunnies told me to stop there. Thanks for reading. **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to update. I have been crazy busy between work and RL, the plot bunnies are beginning to turn on me. I know that a few people requested for longer chapters, and I am doing my best to make them a little longer than the first few. I'm sorry that this one is a little on the short side, but I'm writing as it comes to me. I hope you all enjoy this chapter anyway. Thanks for reading! **

**A/N: Any and all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or an recognizable characters. **

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Nine**

Sam had never felt so useless before in his life. All he wanted to do was help Dean and his brother kept shooting him down. How was he supposed to help if he wasn't given a fair chance? As much as he didn't want to admit it, he and Dean were having some issues and it was going to take time for them to reach a middle ground.

"You've gotta talk to him for me, Cas," said Sam. "He won't listen to anything I have to say."

"What makes you think he'll listen to me?" the angel asked.

"Well, he refuses to hear me out," said Sam. "Stupid Winchester stubbornness."

"Sam, you have to understand that your brother is handling this in his own way," said Castiel. "And that might exclude you."

"He shouldn't have to do this alone," said Sam as he shook his head in frustration.

"He's not alone, Sam," said Castiel. "He and Stephanie will find a way to stop this."

"And what am I supposed to do, huh? Sit back and watch? I don't think so, Cas," said Sam. He hurriedly walked back into the house after Dean, who'd already returned to Bobby's living room.

Castiel was left alone in the salvage yard. After Sam walked off, the angel disappeared.

SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN

"Oh, it's you again," said Jerry when he heard the screen door close, looked up, and saw Dean.

"Dad," said Stephanie, "what did we just talk about?"

"Sorry," Jerry softly mumbled to himself. His daughter managed to calm him down after his recent outburst. She understood that he was upset, but Stephanie made him realize that there are bigger problems at hand. For her sake, Jerry agreed to behave himself, but if he was ever alone with Dean, he intended to give him a piece of his mind.

"Everything okay?" she asked Dean.

"Yeah," he replied. "We're good."

Stephanie smiled when she realized that Dean had calmed down too. The tension was finally lifting.

"Before we continue here," said Bobby, "how about you guys go freshen up, and maybe get some sleep. I'll make something to eat and we'll get back to his a little later." It wasn't a question.

Bobby knew that Dean was still on the mend. He might have appeared to be physically healthy, but his mental health was different story altogether. Besides, he thought it looked as if Stephanie, Danny, and Jerry hadn't slept in a while. The last thing he wanted to put up with was a group of angry, tired, hungry hunters.

Stephanie, Danny, and Jerry headed upstairs to one of the spare bedrooms. Sam and Dean followed them a few minutes later. Once they got settled in their usual room, Sam closed the door behind him and address his brother.

"Dude, what's wrong with you? Why are you blocking me?"

"Not now, Sam," said Dean, who ran a tired hand across his face. "I don't wanna talk about it. I just wanna get some sleep."

"Fine," Sam begrudgingly agreed, simply because he was tired too. "But this conversation is not over."

"Yeah, whatever," Dean mumbled. He got comfortable in bed and felt himself drift off into a dreamless sleep.

SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN

Nearly three hours later, Dean woke with a start. Once he got his bearings, he slid out of bed, and headed for the bathroom. As he made his way down the hallway, he absent-mindedly bumped into Stephanie, who was waiting outside the bathroom for Danny.

"C'mon Danny! You're worse than a woman!" she said as she banged on the door. After she teasingly shouted to her brother, she felt Dean walk into her.

"Oh, sorry," he said, looking up at her.

"No problem," she said. "I'm afraid you're gonna have to take a number. I've been waiting a good twenty minutes for him to pee!"

Dean chuckled and went to say something, but Danny opened the bathroom door behind him.

"Woof," he said, waving his hand in mid-air. "You might wanna let that air out a few minutes." Almost instantly, Stephanie and Dean were able to smell what Danny was talking about.

"Danny, you're disgusting!" said Stephanie, which only made Dean chuckle harder. Danny headed down the hallway without a reply.

"Ladies first," said Dean, stepping out for the way of the doorframe. "Would you like a clothes pin?"

"Oh haha," siad Stephanie. "I think I can hold it another few minutes. You know how women can be." She flipped her hair and smiled at him. "I, unlike my smelly brother, am courteous to other people's natural needs. You go ahead."

Dean smiled, shook his head, and closed the bathroom door behind him. Stephanie stood with her back agains the hallway wall, arms crossed over her chest.

A few minutes later, Dean emerged from the bathroom, smiled at Stephanie again, and said, "Thanks."

"Sure thing," she said.

Dean headed back to the room he shared with Sam to find his brother sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"I'm tellin' ya, women never cease to amaze me," said Dean.

"What do you mean?" asked Sam, around a yawn.

"This chick. She's probably the most well adjusted, level-headed person I've ever met," said Dean. "Especially for a hunter."

"Stephanie? What makes you say that?"

"I don't know what it is, but there's something about her. She seems too cool with this whole situation. Definitely handling it better than I did."

"You like her," said Sam.

"What? No way, dude," said Dean.

"'There's something about her', c'mon man. You like her."

"Look, we have work to do, okay? I can't spend my time fliriting and chasing tail." Dean paused. "Besides, she's not my type."

"But if she makes you happy, why don't you spend more time with her? Maybe after all this, who knows."

_"Because any woman I've ever gotten close to has ended up hurt, dead, or worse," _Dean thought to himself.

"You boys talking about me again?" asked Stephanie from the doorway.

Sam chuckled awkwardly and Dean said nothing.

"C'mon fellas," she continued. "You gotta lighten up a little. I can't have my team mates so serious all the time."

"Yeah, um," Dean began, "we were just headed downstairs."

"Me too," she said. "Dad and Danny are already down there. Something about bacon." She shrugged.

Sam and Dean said nothing more and followed Stephanie back downstaris. Sure enough, once they reached the kitchen, Jerry and Danny were sitting at the table, munching on freshly cooked strips of bacon. Dean's mouth watered.

"Hey, look who decided to join us," said Danny. "You get enough beauty sleep, princess?"

"Shut up, Danny," said Stephanie as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

The lot of them sat there and ate in quiet. Occasionally, Dean would glance over at Stephanie, who'd smile behind her mug or napkin. Once they were all done eating, Bobby sighed, got up and said, "I'm gonna clean up this mess and meet you guys back inside."

"Bobby, let me help you," said Stephanie, "more hands make less work."

"I got it, Steph," said Bobby. "You go help them."

Stephanie didn't argue. Instead, she left Bobby alone to straighten up. Sam, Dean, Jerry, and Danny all congregated in the dining-room-turned-library where they'd been before. All the books and papers lay open on the tables from earlier that morning. Stephanie suddenly began to feel anxious. She knew her stuff; there wasn't a doubt in her mind. She'd crossed paths with her fair share of shapeshifters, ghosts, spirits, werewolves, vampires and even demons. But angels were new to her.

Stephanie decided to put her feelings aside and concentrate on the job. She was willing to work with Dean and stop whatever they started, but her father was making it difficult. She figured that Jerry would soon realize that it was in everyone's best interest to just shut up and deal with it. They couldn't afford to let little things from the past influence how they acted in the future.

"Earth to Stephanie," said Danny. "You with us?"

Stephanie didn't realize that they'd been trying to get her attention the whole time. "Uh, yeah," she said, "I'm here."

"Good," said Jerry. "So, what do we know?"

"Well," Bobby started, "we know that that Stephanie and Dean were in hell together and have some kind of connection, righteous blood or something. We know that they broke the first seal without realizing it...And now we've gotta avoid having a full-blown Apocalypse on our hands."

"That's all?" added Jerry, sarcasm filling his voice.

"Don't forget the angels and their heavenly grip, Dad," said Stephanie.

"Their what?" asked Jerry.

Stephanie rolled up her shirt sleeve to reveal her shoulder. Imprinted on her skin was a handprint. It looked like a bad sunburn, but she was sure it'd all been Castiel's doing. Sam and Dean exchanged looks.

"Geez, Steph," said Danny. "Where'd you get that?"

"Well I didn't have it before I died, so I'm guessing Castiel did it."

"Look familiar to you?" Jerry asked Dean.

Without a word, Dean showed him the hand print on his shoulder. "Yeah, all too familiar."

"Okay, so I'm guessing that Castiel wasn't lying when he said he saved you, Steph," said Danny.

"Great, so we've both been touched by an angel," said Stephanie. "Now what?"

Before anyone could answer, a slight breeze passed through the room. Papers and curtains moved and there was a faint sound of wings flapping. Everyone turned their attention to the doorframe where Castiel had reappeared.

"What's the good word, angel dude?" asked Danny.

"I have received revelation," the angel stated, very matter of fact.

"Okay. Care to enlighten us?" asked Sam.

"Lilith wants her dead."

"Who? Me?" asked Stephanie.

"Yes, you," said Castiel.

"What? Why? And who the hell is Lilith?"

"She's a big time demon who likes screwing with hunters," said Dean. "She's the one who held my contract. Probably yours too."

"But why would she want her dead?" asked Danny.

"Yeah," said Stephanie. "I thought Dean and I have to do this together."

"Exactly," said Castiel, "that's the point. If you're not alive, you can't help Dean save the world."

"She's doing this to get to me?" asked Dean.

"I don't know her reasoning behind this," said Castiel. "Demons can be very deceptive." He paused. "I'm just relaying the message."

"Why can't Lilith go after him instead?" Jerry asked, pointing to Dean. "After all, this _is_ his fault." Stephanie shot a dangerous look at her father.

"We don't know," said Castiel. "What we do know is that Lilith is out to kill Stephanie."

"Oh, this just keeps getting better and better," said Dean.

**A/N: Please don't hate me for stopping there. There's more to come soon so sit tight. Reviews are love. Thanks for reading. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I blame the evil, angry, (yet cute) plot bunnies for this one. **

**A/N: Any and all mistakes are mine.**

**A/N: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters. **

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Ten**

Jerry did not know how much more of this he could take: angels, demons; heaven, hell; his daughter returning from the dead, confrontations, and awkward moments. It all sounded like a bad dream. He was relieved to have Stephanie back, safe and sound, but he wouldn't allow himself to think about her awful experiences in hell. And he certainly wasn't letting Dean off the hook about the whole situation.

He'd be damned if he was going to let anything happen to his children. They'd already been through enough. Although they were no longer babies, Jerry knew it was his responsibility to protect them. On her hospital deathbed, his wife asked that he look after their children. With tears in his eyes, he promised that he'd take care of them, raise them right. After watching his wife slowly and painfully pass away, Jerry told himself, _"Never again will I watch a loved one die."_

But over the past few years, Jerry began to feel as if he failed her.

His wife's cancer, he knew, was not caused by man. She unfortunately fell ill after giving birth to Danny and the disease progressed from there. It wasn't anyone's fault, but Jerry felt that he had to make it up to his children by being both their father and their mother. As he watched Danny bleed to death, he couldn't imagine what his wife would have been saying. He didn't keep his promise to her and their son died on his watch. Then, when he found out Stephanie made her deal, he couldn't believe he didn't think of doing it himself. He should have been there to back them up.

Jerry always told his kids that you never go out on a hunt alone, especially a dangerous one. To his amazement, Stephanie and Danny had always listened to him. He forgot his book of matches, of all things; a necessity for this particular hunt. They had each other, and Jerry thought that would be enough until he returned. He ran back to the car to get it, and that was when it attacked Danny. Stephanie was double checking the trap's configuration when the wendigo came out of the woods and headed straight for Danny. Between the darkness and the trees, Stephanie was carefully hidden from the monster's view, while her brother was left out in the open. She couldn't get to him before the beast sliced into him. She ran towards them, shouting, trying to distract it from hurting Danny, but the damage was already done. She reached him as his body fell to the ground and the monster ran off.

When Jerry came back from the car, he saw Stephanie kneeling next to her brother, hands pressed to his chest and stomach trying to stop the bleeding. She was calling his name, but Danny wasn't responding. Seeing what happened after the fact, Jerry took off after the wendigo in hyperactive hunter-Dad mode. Jerry is still not sure, but he managed to find it and kill it before heading back to his family.

He and Stephanie watched as Danny died from his wounds on the cold, dirty forest floor. The same helplessness and complex emotions that clouded his judgment when his wife died began to overwhelm him. When the finally managed to get Danny home, they gently cleaned him up, changed his clothes, and laid him on his bed. Jerry sat next to his son's lifeless body, too angry at himself to cry. Stephanie stood in silence in the doorway watching her brother and father. There were times when she thought that her brother moved in his sleep, just as he'd done ever since he was a baby. But Danny wouldn't stir or wake from death's cold grip.

After a long night of silence between them, Stephanie left the family cabin without so much as a word to her father. She drove to the nearest crossroads, summoed the red-eyed demon, and bargained her soul to save her brother.

Her family was reunited and everything was back to normal. Only problem was, Stephanie had one year to live before being dragged to hell. Both her father and brother were less than thrilled to hear that she'd made a deal to save Danny, but it was done. There was no getting out of it. For one year, they searched high and low for an answer, a loop hole that might get her off the hook. Any solution Jerry found that he'd either lose his son because Stephanie chickened out, or he'd lose his daughter, because he didn't fight hard enough.

One year to the date, in the church where Jerry and his wife were married, they hell hounds came for his daughter. Jerry and Danny stood helplessly while she screamed as they tore her to shreds, and left her for dead. It was the second time Jerry witnessed the agonizing death of one of his children. And all he could do was watch.

Just thinking about it gave Jerry chills. He never wanted to feel that kind of pain again. Parents aren't supposed to bury their children. But that's a part of a normal, apple pie life. And their life was anything but. As the guilt piled higher and higher, Jerry began to feel run down and emotionally empty.

It was his daughter's voice that pulled him out of his daydream. "So, now what?"

Jerry focused his eyes and scanned the room. The blank looks on everyone's faces did not ease his concern.

"Whatever we're gonna do, we better do it fast," said Dean. "We need to make a plan."

"I don't know about you guys, but I've never actually had a 'plan' when going against demons," said Stephanie. "We usually just go in, trap the damn thing, and exorcise it. End of story."

"I don't think a simple exorcism is gonna work on her," said Dean. "You have no idea what she's capable of."

"Well then I guess we'll have to figure out a way to hide you," said Sam.

"Oh yeah, and how do you suggest we do that?" asked Jerry.

Sam looked at Dean, and said, "Hex bags."

Danny looked up. "Like, black magic? Witches? Seriously?"

Sam shrugged. "It's an idea."

"Sounds good to me," said Stephanie. "How do we make one?"

"We'll need to make more than one," said Sam. "Maybe five or so; one for each of you, one for your car, and an extra one, just in case."

"That might not be enough," said Castiel.

"Why not? Should we make more?" asked Stephanie.

"That's not what I mean," the angel said. "You're going to need something stronger to keep Lilith off your trail. Hex bags won't do much."

"They've worked before," said Sam.

"Really?" asked Jerry.

"Yes, really," said Dean.

"Okay, what do we need?" asked Danny.

"I have all we need," said Sam. "Let me get my bag."

"You what?" asked Dean.

"I have all we need to-"

"Yeah, I got that. But since when?"

"Since, well, a while ago."

"Really? Huh."

"Yeah." Dead didn't appreciate his brother's tone and raised his eyebrows.

"Ruby showed me," confessed Sam. "And she gave me what I need to make them if she's not around, which clearly, she's not."

"Ah, Ruby. How'd I know?" said Dean.

Sam didn't reply to his brother's sarcasm. There was no use arguing because it wasn't the right time or place. He sighed internally, and got up to leave when Bobby said, "Hold on just a minuted. I think we might need to move this little party downstairs."

"Why?" asked Jerry.

"I built a panic room; a 100 percent demon-free zone," said Bobby. "Perfect for when you're trying to keep the bad guys at bay."

"Bobby, you are awesome," said Stephanie. He smile sheepishly.

"Sounds like a start to me," said Danny.

They all got up, gathered books and papers before heading down the hallway to the basement door. Sam stepped away from the group and walked outside to the Impala to get his duffle.

As they made their way to the panic room, Stephanie noticed the frustrated, tired look on Dean's face. Seeing how the brother's bickered, Stephanie couldn't help but wonder how they worked so well together. She and Danny had their fights, of course, but the issues between Sam and Dean seemed to run much deeper than any other pair of siblings.

Her curiosity getting the best of her, Stephanie said, "I'm afraid to ask, but who's Ruby?"

"She's a demon," said Dean flatly.

"And she's a friend of yours?"

"No. She's a friend of Sam's."

"Oh," said Stephanie in a small voice. She didn't know it was going to be a touchy subject. Nevertheless, she pressed forward. "And she actually helped you."

"Yeah," admitted Dean.

"So if these hex bags are supposed to protect us from demons, why would a demon show you how to make one?" asked Danny.

"Apparently, she was a witch a while back," said Dean.

"Great, a witch turned demon," said Jerry. "That sounds reliable."

"Look, if it was up to me, I wouldn't have anything to do with her," said Dean. "I hate to admit it, but she has saved our asses before."

"You really think she can help us?" asked Stephanie.

Dean nodded. "The hex bags will work. Just make sure you keep them with you." His smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Why do I feel like there's something you're not telling us?" asked Jerry.

"Why don't you trust us? We know what we're talking about," said Dean.

"Yeah, but demons on our side? That sounds a little...suspicious, don't you think?"

"You're preaching to the choir," said Dean.

Sam returned with his duffle and began to take out the ingredients and cloth to make the bags. "I know it won't take long, but I want to show you guys how to do this for the future."

Danny and Stephanie sat down at the table and watched as Sam made the first bag. Jerry made his way over and hovered between his children's shoulders. Dean made a point to keep his distance from Sam. He stood leaning on the wall near the door, arms folded across his chest. Castiel walked up next to him, and said, "Dean, you know the bags aren't fool proof. Lilith won't give up. She'll find Stephanie, magic hex bags or not."

"Yeah, I know," said Dean, "but for now, it's th best plan we got. It's just temporary until we figure something else out."

The angel gave him a curious look. "You're forming another plan?"

Before Dean could reply, Sam said, "Okay, all done."

"That was fast," said Jerry.

"Yeah, we only made a few bags, Dad," said Danny. "It's easier than it looks."

Castiel mumbled something that sounded like, "But even more dangerous," to Dean, but he wasn't sure.

"Well," Jerry started, "I don't know about anyone else, but I had a terrific time. Thank you Sam for the bags, and thank you Bobby for your hospitality. And thank you Castiel for bringing Stephanie back. I really appreciate it. I hate to be a party pooper, but it's time for us to go." Everyone stared at him.

"Why aren't you two getting your things?" he asked his kids. "We're leaving." Stephanie and Danny exchanged puzzled looks.

"Jerry turned to face them, "Stephanie, Daniel, I'm not kidding this time. We are leaving. Now."

"Why?" asked Danny.

"Because I said so," said Jerry. "Get your stuff and get in the car."

Danny quickly got up and started gathering his belongings. Stephanie stayed in her seat. "I'm staying."

"What?"

"I'm staying here with Sam, Dean, and Bobby. I'm not going with you."

"Don't be silly," he said. "You're part of this family, and the family is leaving."

"I'm part of the family, Dad? Really?"

"Stephanie, now is not the time to be sarcastic. You know very well that you are part of this family and family sticks together."

"So was I still part of the family when you buried me in the backyard? Sounds to me like you got me confused with the family dog."

Jerry sighed, and said, "Steph, we buried you there because we wanted you to be near us. A formal funeral would have attracted unwanted attention. We did it to protect you."

"Dad," she started, "I was in hell. Don't you get that? You couldn't protect me anymore. You didn't have to."

Her words stung, but Jerry managed to say, "But that's my job."

"Dad, you think you can protect me and Danny forever? You can barely protect yourself most times. There is a war going on here, whether you realize it or not. And it's not the kind of situation where you can negotiate with leaders or drop an A-bomb. We're dealing with evil. Bad things are going to happen to good people, and you wanna walk away?"

A moment after the words left her lips, there was a loud bang in the living room. Even through the thick panic room walls, they could all hear people walking around, smashing random objects in the room above them. Jerry headed for the door, but Dean put out his arm and stopped him. "You can't go out there," he said as another loud bang came vibrating through the walls.

"Why not?" asked Jerry.

"Don't you hear that?" asked Dean. "It's not safe."

"They found us," said Castiel, his eyes focused on the ceiling.

"Who?" asked Danny.

"Lilith and her entourage," said Castiel. "They're looking for you."

"But they can't get to us down here, right?" asked Stephanie.

"They'll eventually find the room, but they can't com in," said Bobby. "I soaked the iron walls in salt."

"So, I'm safe if I stay in here?" asked Stephanie, quickly becoming less cool, calm, and collected. Heavy footsteps were making their way down the basement stairs and Danny walked over to his sister to stand guard.

"Where's Ruby when you need her?" asked Sam, rhetorically.

"Cas, can you -" Dean started, but was cut off by a fierce bang on the door. That was all it took.

The door opened and Lilith was standing just outside the doorway with two demon henchmen behind her. She quickly flashed her creepy white eyes, and said, "Oh look, the gang's all here. Must be my lucky day."

**A/N: As evil and crazy as they might be, please remember to feed the plot bunnies and review. Thanks! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm going to be honest with you: I'm really not too happy with this chapter, but it's better than nothing. I don't want to keep you in suspense too long. I'm writing the chapters as they come to me. I hope you like it anyway. *crosses fingers***

**A/N: Any and all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters.**

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Eleven**

The panic room became motionless. No one uttered a word. And that was the way she liked it. She fed off the fear that she instilled in humans and she reveled in its intoxication.

"What's wrong?" she asked, a saracstic innocence filling her voice. "You look surprised to see me." She silently inventoried the room, noting each person in her head. When her eyes passed from Sam, to Danny, to Stephanie, with whom she made eye contact, she examined the young hunter before her. Lilith began studying her face and admired the determination in her eyes.

"What do you want?" asked Jerry, his hunter mode kicking into overdrive.

"I think you know what I want," said Lilith.

"Yeah, well that's not happening," said Jerry. "Not on my watch."

The white-eyed demon smiled at him. "Whatever you say, sugar." She stepped towards the panic room's entrance and was blocked by an invisible force. Bobby's demon-proofing was expertly crafted and unbreakable. Or so he thought.

Unable to break the unseen barrier, Lilith's anger began to rise. She wasn't letting Stephanie get away, especially if she was so close to victory. She slowly stepped back, rasied her arms slightly, put her head back, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. In an instant, the ground shook, the lights began to spark, the walls cracked, windows shattered into a million pieces, and part of the ceiling caved in.

"Son of a bitch!" exclaimed Bobby.

In an attempt to block herself from the falling pieces of iron ceiling, Stephanie jumped out of the way, and knocked into Danny. Both of them rolled into the corner near where Dean and Cas were standing. As Dean helped them up off the floor, he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw another one on Stephanie's. Danny blinked and they were gone.

Sam's eyes followed Stephanie as she hurried out of the way. Once she and his brother disappeared, he looked at Jerry, who was dumbfounded. "Where did - ", started Jerry, but he stopped midsentence to avoid behing knocked unconscious by a light fixture.

As the room continued to fall apart around them, Danny asked, "What now?"

"I'm open to suggestions," said Bobby. Of course, none of the remaining hunters could answer him.

_"Ruby, where are you?"_ Sam thought to himself. He really couldn've used her help at that point. He didn't have any idea how they were going to get out of there alive. And he didn't have the slightest inkling as to where Dean went.

Lilith realized that Stephanie had magically disappeared and the angel was no longer bleeping on her radar. Feeling defeated, she stopped her destructive attack on Bobby's house. "I might not have won this round, but mark my words," her eyes narrowed before continuing, "I will find her and kill her." The hunters blinked and she was gone.

SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN

"Why did you do that?" Stephanie shouted to Castiel, pounding her fists on his shoulders. "My family needs me and you took me away from them!" She tried to run away from Dean and the angel, but was quickly stopped before she could get far.

"Steph," Dean started, "you can't go back there."

"I don't know who the hell you think you are telling me what I can and cannot do," she snapped. "My family is in the room and in case you didn't notice, a demon was tearing it to pieces!"

"She won't hurt your family," said Castiel.

"What?" asked Stephanie.

"Lilith. She won't hurt your family," the angel repeated.

"Oh, and you know this for a fact?" she pressed.

"Yes, I do," he said.

"And how is that?" she asked. "You saw the look in her eyes. She wasn't second guessing herself. She knew what she was doing and she wasn't going to hesitate before killing them all."

"She doesn't want them," said Casitel. Stephanie stared at him.

"She wants us," said Dean, finally realizing why the angel had done what he did. Stephanie's gaze shifted from Castiel, to Dean, and back again. Sensing she was confused, Castiel offered an explanation.

"I told you before," he said. "Lilith wants you dead."

"Yeah, I know," said Stephanie. "So why did you take me away from my family?"

"They can handle themselves," said Casitel. "Don't worry. They'll be fine."

"No, they won't be fine," she said. "They need my help. What don't you understand?"

"I got you out of harm's way to protect you and your family," said the angel, anger filling his voice.

"Cas," Dean warned.

He ignored his friend's warning, and continued. "If you stayed there, Lilith would have found a way to get into the room and you, your family, the Winchesters, and Bobby would all be dead." He paused, letting her brain absorb the idea. "And that's exactly what we're trying to prevent."

Shock stopped Stephanie from saying anything. "And all you could think of was zapping us to the middle of nowhere? Good plan, Cas," said Dean. The ground they were standing on bore a vage resemblance to a crossroads.

"I told you the hex bags weren't going to be strong enough," said Castiel. "Just before Lilith attacked, you were going to ask me if I could get you two out of there." Dean didn't know how he knew that.

"So now you're out guardian angel until Lilith is pushing daises?" asked Stephanie.

"No, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

"Perfect," said Dean. "Now that we're safe, how are we gonna get back to Bobby's?"

Castiel didn't answer him. Instead, he focused his eys on the road behind Dean. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me," said the hunter.

When the angel didn't respond again, Dean sighed and turned to start walking down the road. Stephanie watched as he walked away, and then turned to say a smart remark to Castiel, but the angel was gone.

"Does he do that all the time?" Stephanie asked Dean as she caught up with him.

"Yeah, pretty much," he said. "Perks of being an angel, I guess."

Stephanie shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe him. He'd leave us out here like this, unarmed and lost, when he knows we're both wanted, dead or alive."

Dean stopped in his tracks. "Did you just make a Bon Jovi reference?"

She looked at him, smiled, and shrugged. "I guess I have a thing for bad boys in leather jackets." She paused for a beat. "Besides, I think he rocks."

"I dunno," said Dean. "I'm more of a Zeppelin fan myself."

"Oh yeah," she agreed. "Led's definitely on my top ten list." They continued walking down the dark, pebble road in silence for a while. But sure enough, the silence became too awkward for Dean. The only thing he could think to say was, "Don't get me wrong, Bon Jovi rocks...on occasion."

Immediately after the words left his lips, Dean remembered the car ride to New Harmony, Indiana with Sam, who was trying to get him to talk about his impending death. Dean didn't want his last day to be socially awkward so he turned on the radio and sure enough, Bon Jovi was playing. It was the only time that Dean ever admitted that the band rocked. The memory of him and Sam riding in the Impala, singing along to the radio was something Dean tried to remind himself of over and over while he was in hell. Now, as he thought of Sam, he couldn't understand why he was hit with a pang of guilt.

Stephanie laughed and said, "Are you trying to find a middle ground? Because honestly, I think we're more alike than you realize."

"I guess my brother was right," said Dean. "This is kinda creepy."

"Yeah, well, what're ya gonna do?"

Just then, Dean's phone rang. The small illuminated display screen on the front said "SAM CALLING". He couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Sam? Are you okay? What happened?"

"Yeah, Dean, I'm fine. Where are you?"

"I have no idea."

"What do you mean?"

"Cas just poofed us into the middle of nowhere...literally."

"Stay right there. We'll find you."

"Oh, yeah, and how are you gonna do that, college boy?"

"We'll think of something. Is Stephanie with you?"

"Yeah, she's here."

"Okay, good. Just sit tight for a little while and we'll come get you." Sam hung up the phone before Dean had a chance to reply. If Dean knew his brother at all, he knew Sam was thinking of calling Ruby. Just the thought of her made Dean feel dirty. And not in a good way.

"What did he say?" asked Stephanie.

"He said they're coming to get us," said Dean, "although I'm not sure how." He put his cell phone back in his pocket and looked down the road, to his left and to his right. There were no signs and the pebbles seemed to go on for miles. There were few working street lights that brightened the abandoned roads, but Dean still wished he had a flashlight.

"Terrific," said Stephanie. "Maybe we should just keep walking." She took off in front of him, kicking an empty can down the street.

**A/N: It's short, I know. But that's all I could come up with for the time being. I promise I will update as soon as the plot bunnies return from Yemen. Reviews = LOVE! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey everyone! I am so very sorry for taking so long to update. I guess the plot bunnies were on a slow boat back from Yemen. It's been a long time, and I hope you guys have stuck around for this chapter. I know it's not long, but it's a start for my next series of updates. Once again, thanks for reading, and I hope you review.**

**A/N: Any and all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: I don not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters.**

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Twelve**

Over the years, Bobby Singer had grown accustomed to picking up after the Winchester boys. He's looked after and treated them as if they were his own flesh and blood, but sometimes it's just too much. Sure he'd been friendly with John, no matter how often they fought, and eventually, John's boys began to grow on him and Bobby welcomed them into his life as if they were his own. Shortly following John's death, Bobby took on a more official role as surrogate father of the two grown up Winchester boys. And he never regretted it. Not once.

Bobby and the Winchesters have shared many things through out the years including booze, blood, and battles. Most times Bobby was their helpful omniscient guide who gladly offered the boys hints and tips from the secure privacy of his home while Sam and Dean were off hunting down the baddie of the week. Bobby never hesitated to share his knowledge with them because he knew they were good at their job, and he wasn't going to keep his skills away from his family. Sam and Dean knew that he was only a phone call away, and they never thought twice to call him for help. Eventually, they began to work like a well-oiled machine; a team that always came out on top, despite the constant supernatural evil breathing down their necks.

Naturally, Bobby had also helped other fellow hunters throughout the years. Jerry, being one of them. When his phone rang that morning and he heard his old friend's voice on the other end, Bobby knew something was going on. And something told him it had something to do with the Winchesters.

Never in his life did Bobby second guess his knowledge of the supernatural. He'd made some mistakes early on, but like many other hunters, he'd learned from them. Looking around his now destroyed panic room, Bobby tried to control his anger. Sure there had been plenty of times he had to clean up a little blood here and there, maybe spackle his ceiling or wall once in a while, but the site before him was far worse than he'd even imagined. An entire weekend of soaking thick sheets of metal in salt, marking the walls with sigils and devils traps, and making sure the room was adequately stocked for any form of supernatural attack was now put to waste. Bobby knew that it hadn't been Sam and Dean's fault. It was Lilith's, and her uncontrollable vengeful anger towards hunters.

"Bobby, I...I'm so sorry," said Danny, noticing the hurt angry look on the elder hunter's face. "We can rebuild it. Make it better."

Bobby said nothing. He picked up a piece of iron that was laying on the floor, examined it, and tossed it aside with a sigh. He'd never felt so hopeless.

"Danny, we don't have time for that," said Jerry. "We have to find your sister."

"Dad, I'm sure she's fine," said Danny. "She's with Dean and that angel dude. I'm sure she's okay."

"Dean said she's with him, Jerry," said Sam. "We'll figure out a way to get them back here."

Jerry was too tired to argue. And knowing that his daughter was with Dean, only made him hate his guts even more.

"Wait, you told Dean that we'd go get them," started Danny. "How exactly do you suggest we do that, considering we have no idea where they are?"

"I'll take care of it," said Sam. "Just give me a few minutes, I'll be right back." Before anyone could question him, Sam was out of the panic room, heading upstairs.

He wasn't surprised when he'd realized Lilith hadn't only destroyed the panic room. _"Bobby's gonna be pissed,"_ he thought to himself. The house looked as if it had been attacked by, well, demons.

Finding the dining room table on it's side, Sam flipped it back over and began searching for what he needed to perform the summoning ritual. He knew Dean would kill him if he ever found out what he was doing, but Sam had a hunch his brother already knew. It'd taken him a while to find all that he needed, but after he'd set everything up, Sam began the incantation.

"What happened here?" came a voice from the arch between the hallway and the dining room. "Looks like hell broke loose or something."

Sam looked up and saw Ruby standing before him, arms crossed and leaning against the frame.

"Ruby," he gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"You were about to call me, weren't you?"

Sam looked at the table, then back at the demon. "Well, yeah, but how'd you-"

"Save it Sam," she snapped. "I'm not an idiot." She began to walk towards him.

"How did you know we were here?" asked Sam.

The demon looked at him. "Are you serious? Sam, you should know better than that." She paused. "I got word that Lilith was paying you a visit, so I followed her here."

"And you didn't bother to help us?"

"I wouldn't have been able to. There was no way I was getting into that panic room, and she would have killed me if I came any where near the house."

Sam reluctantly believed her. "So does that mean you can tell me where Dean is?"

"Dean's missing?"

"Yeah, Cas poofed him and Stephanie to the middle of nowhere and left them."

"Who's Stephanie?"

"Ugh, it's a long story," said Sam.

She cut him off, "Another hunter?"

"Can you please just tell me where they are."

She hesitated. "Fine," she said, "but this is the last time."

Ruby worked her magic, set another map on fire, and handed the burnt piece of paper to Sam. "They're there, okay? Happy now?"

"Thanks," he said. "What's wrong with you?"

"I just...Sam, look, it's not that I don't mind helping you, it's just that..."

"Ruby, I don't have time," said Sam. "I have to go get Dean. Can we talk later?"

"No Sam," she snapped and flashed her black eyes. "We have to talk now." Sam waited. "I can't keep saving your butt like this."

"Saving my butt? What the hell are you talking about? You did nothing to save us."

"Every time you need me, Lilith is on your tail."

"Uh, yeah, that's the problem. Haven't you been following?"

"That's not what I mean." She paused. "You're the only one who can stop her, and you know it. I want to help you become who you're meant to be."

"Ruby, I think Dean was right," said Sam. "Maybe whole demon blood thing this is a bad idea."

"Dean," she sighed. "You're still trying to make your big brother happy? What about what makes you happy, Sam? Your brother has always gotten in the way of you and what you want. How long are you going to let him do this to you?"

"He's my brother, Ruby," said Sam. "You can't ask me to choose between you and him. He's a part of me; he's my blood."

Without another word, Sam stormed out of the house, determined to find his brother. Ruby watched as he walked away from her. As soon as he was out of earshot, she said, "So am I."

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews of all kind are welcome! :) **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews you guys have been sending me! I love them! Ready for the next chapter? I hope so! Enjoy! **

**A/N: Any and all mistakes are mine. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters.**

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Stephanie was no stranger to awkward moments. Growing up with her dad and little brother always maintained a level of inevitable awkwardness. Not only was she their daughter and sister, she was their teacher, nurse, cook, housekeeper, partner, and friend. She's stitched up her father and brother more times than she cared to count. And heaven knows there were plenty of times when they returned the favor. Her father and brother loved her, of course, and she never doubted it. But it was still awkward emotions between her and her father throughout her childhood, and even to this day.

Jerry had to learn how to be both a father and a mother to his children. There were times when it was easier for him to relate to Danny than to Stephanie simply because he was a boy. Jerry found it easier to deal with Danny's more personal problems than Stephanie's because Jerry hadn't read the "Ways To Be A Good Mom" chapter of the parenting book his wife bought when she had gotten pregnant. Somehow, though, they'd always managed to overcome the embarrassing life lessons every parent-child relationship suffers through. Awkwardness and all.

Because they were hunters, the awkwardness extended beyond their small family when they were working a job. Whenever they posed as federal agents, police officers, or any other official, they fought their way to keep up appearances. They always worried that the people they interviewed and dealt with on a daily basis would pick up on what they were doing and have them arrested, or worse. The job had gotten somewhat easier over the years, but that awkwardness never faded.

As Stephanie began to reflect on her current predicament, she shook her head at a concrete conclusion: the queen of awkward moments had officially returned.

Neither she nor Dean has said anything for a while now, and the tension was building. They must have walked a few miles, and still found nothing along the deserted road. Cas had certainly done a good job relocating them far away. As they continued down the road, Stephanie maintained a short distance behind Dean, clearly letting him lead the way. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but her conscious mind had been playing tricks on her. She kept having violent flashbacks of hell - the pain, blood, screaming, fear. All of it. Even Dean.

Every few seconds, in an attempt to distract herself, she'd stare at the back of his head, or at the jacket he was wearing. Anything was better than looking at his eyes. His big, beautiful, green eyes. Every time the two made eye contact, the image of him coming towards her replayed again and again. They'd been crazed, blood-thirsty, angry eyes, full of hate, madness, and absent of all human emotion. If Stephanie managed to successfully stop thinking about hell for just a second, everything seemed normal: as if she'd never left, as if Dean was just some other guy. Unfortunately, images, thoughts, and sounds had been flooding her mind for the past few days, and she had a feeling all this time she was spending with Dean wasn't helping. So she just kept staring at his faded leather jacket.

And no matter how hard she tried, no matter how many comforting words people offered, how many hunts she went on, she knew the wounds would never heal. She'd never be herself again: never be whole. The memories of her past were going to haunt her and plague her mind forever.

Turned out her Dad was right: the mind is dangerous, powerful, and manipulative. It had the power to make you think and see whatever it wants. And you have no control over it.

"Hello, earth to Stephanie." It was Dean's voice that snapped her out of her thoughts.

She cleared her throat, "Uh, yeah, I'm here. What's up?"

Dean looked at her suspiciously. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm terrific," she answered. "Why?"

"Because you walked right into me."

"I...what?" she asked, confused.

"You walked right into me," he repeated. "Not that I mind, or anything." He felt himself begin to blush.

"Oh, sorry," she said. "I must have been daydreaming." She offered a soft smile, but still avoiding eye contact.

"Uh, okay," he said, ending the discussion. Dean racked his brain trying to find something else to say.

"So, have you heard back from Sam?" asked Stephanie.

"No, not since earlier," he answered. "I don't know how he expects to find us when we're in the middle of freakin' nowhere." He shook his head in defeat and frustration. "Next time I see Cas, I'm gonna kick his fluffy white angel ass from here to-"

"What's that?" interrupted Stephanie. She'd heard a rumbling out in the distance, and it had been getting closer and closer.

"What's what?" asked Dean.

"Shhh, listen," she said. Dean did as he was told, and immediately recognized the rumbling that was getting louder and louder.

He took off down the road again, walking towards the noise with his senses heightened. As Stephanie followed suit, Dean picked up his pace from a quick walk to almost a jog. Stephanie ran to catch up to him, and stopped in her tracks when he did: two bright, giant headlights coming towards them.

"Ah, I knew it," said Dean, a big smile crossing his face. "It's my baby."

"Your what?" asked Stephanie. The rumbling was getting louder and louder now. "Dean, it's just a car."

He glared at her and all she could do was stare awkwardly at him.

The Impala stopped a few feet from where they were standing. Even in the darkness of night, Stephanie could see the car's finish glow proudly in the moonlight. She didn't picture Dean as a classic muscle car kind of guy. Okay, muscle car, yes. But a classic, more than forty years old? Never in a million years. Nevertheless, she was impressed.

Sam cut the engine and stepped out of the driver's side. "Need a ride?"

Dean walked towards him. "Yeah, but you're not driving."

They'd been driving for a good twenty minutes when Sam couldn't take the tension anymore. He decided to break the ice.

"So, Cas really took you guys out of the way this time, huh?" he said.

"Yeah," said Stephanie from the backseat. "Didn't think you were gonna be able to find us."

"Nah, it wasn't any trouble," said Sam. "You weren't as far away as you thought you were."

"Oh, okay," said Stephanie.

A few more minutes had passed and Dean still hadn't said anything. To either of them. Sure, he was happy Sam came for them because he honestly had no idea how he was going to get out of there, or how much time he'd have to spend alone with Stephanie. What bothered Dean the most was that Sam wasn't telling him _how_ he was able to find them in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night, with no GPS. Dean of course had a clue: Ruby. Just knowing that his little brother had turned to a demon for help because he wasn't there gnawed away at him relentlessly. And that hurt him more than seeing the fear he instilled in Stephanie's eyes.

He figured he'd just talk about it with Sam later, and certainly not in front of Stephanie. The Winchesters were dealing with their own problems, and were not the type to get strangers involved. Unfortunately for Dean, his life never goes according to plan, and Sam opened his big mouth.

"You know I called Ruby, right?" he said. Dean kept his eyes glued to the asphalt.

"Dean? Did you hear me?" he tried again.

Taking the bait, Dean replied, "Yeah, I heard you."

"She helped me find you," said Sam.

"I figured." Sam wasn't getting the hint.

"She's done it before," his brother pressed.

Dean took his eyes off the road to give his brother a hard glance. "What?"

"Yeah," Sam started, "remember when Cas and Uriel showed up at the motel and took you to that abandoned warehouse where you were, uh, 'needed'?" Again with the finger air quotes.

Of course Dean remembered. Did Sam think his brother was an idiot?

"Yeah," said Dean, speaking around the lump that was forming in his throat.

"I called her to see if she knew where you were," Sam confessed.

Dean glanced into the rearview mirror to find Stephanie alert and attentive to their conversation. _"Great,"_ he thought to himself.

"That's how I knew where to find you, and save you," said Sam.

"Well, thank God for that," said Dean, bitterness filling his voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Sam, feeling offended.

"Never mind," said Dean, turning on the radio. "Let's just drop it." He turned up the volume.

Sam leaned back in the passenger seat, defeated. The topic was no longer up for discussion.

Stephanie remained quiet in the backseat the entire time: thoughts and possible explanations running through her head. Once the conversation was over, she sat back, relaxed, and listened to the music.

Long live the queen of awkward moments.

**Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next chapter! And don't forget to review! Thanks! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for the awesome reviews! You guys are the best! I hope you're ready for the next chapter, because here it is! I know it's a lot longer than usual, but I had this idea in my head, and I had to get it out. I hope you enjoy it! **

**A/N: I hope this all makes sense. It's about 4am, and my brain is a little fried, but like I said, I couldn't pass this idea up. **

**A/N: Any and all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters. **

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Fourteen**

Half of the sky was still dark, but it was being chased away by the morning sun that had slowly began to rise. The start of a new day, and the official ending of an old one happening all at once. There had always been something about the sunrise that made Stephanie smile. She found happiness, peace, and relief in the bright dawn of a new day. Her father told her that she had been graced with her mother's optimism and overall positive outlook.

When they'd finally arrived back at Singer's Salvage Yard, Stephanie couldn't seem to get out of the car fast enough. She figured Sam and Dean were going to take their time heading back into the house, but she wanted to get a head start. After Dean hung up his phone call with Sam and said that her father and brother were okay, Stephanie was relieved. She felt the tightness that had been gathering in her chest slowly being to release itself. Upon seeing the house, Stephanie immediately wanted to get out and run to where her father and brother had been staying. As Dean pulled into an empty spot in the yard, put the Impala in park, Stephanie jumped out the back seat, and quickly walked into the house.

Sam was looking at Dean, wanting to continue their conversation from earlier, but Sam had a feeling Dean had avoided the topic because Stephanie was with them. Dean stared blankly at the windshield while sitting motionless in the driver's seat. He could feel Sam's eyes on him. He knew his brother was going to say something that could have very well led to an argument, and Dean knew he didn't have the strength to do so.

"Dean," Sam started, his voice a cracking whisper.

"Don't," said Dean, stopping his brother. "Don't start." He let out a heavy sigh. "Just no, Sam. Not now." Without another word, Dean got out of the car, and followed Stephanie into the house. Sam's eyes followed his brother, but he said nothing. He simply sighed, and wished that his brother wouldn't be so stubborn.

"Holy hell," said Stephanie. "What happened here?"

"Demons," said Bobby, who'd finally come up from the basement, Jerry and Danny behind him.

"I can't believe they would do this," said Stephanie, walking around the house, assessing the damage with her fellow hunters.

"You okay?" asked Jerry, finally seeing his daughter, safe and sound.

"Yeah," she answered. "I'm fine."

"Good," said Jerry. "We didn't know where you disappeared to."

"Yeah, that angel dude," said Danny, "totally took you off the map."

Stephanie shook her head a little. "You have no idea."

"Where are Sam and Dean?" asked Bobby.

"They're outside in the car," she said. "I think they have some talking to do."

She walked further into the house, watching where she stepped. By the time she made it into the kitchen, she heard Dean's voice from the front door.

"Geez Bobby," he said. "What happened?"

"Uh, demons, remember?" said Bobby, sarcastically.

Sam entered the house, and said, "Crap, Bobby. Demons did a helluva job."

"Yes! I know! Will you stop it!" Everyone froze. It wasn't like Bobby to explode like that.

"Okay, so now what?" asked Jerry.

"I vote for sleep," said Dean, but no one acknowledged him.

"We figure out what our next move is, that's what," said Bobby.

"And how are we supposed to do that, exactly?" asked Danny as he looked around the room.

"Well, get movin', boy," said Bobby. "This place ain't gonna straighten itself out."

A little while later, the house looked a little more like it had before Lilith paid her visit. Bobby was able to find his books and papers, and put them exactly where he had them before. Anytime someone made a comment about his organizational habits, he said "Why change a perfect system? I know where everything is."

They were all finally sitting around the cluttered table again, racking their brains for a new idea. Sam had thought about bringing up Ruby again, but decided not to. He knew they wouldn't get anywhere without careful strategic planning, and her knife. He also didn't want to push his brother away. Sam had began to sense that Dean was drifting away from him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. So he sat there, quietly flipping through old books, and held his tongue on the subject.

"We could summon her," suggested Danny.

"And then what?" asked Jerry. "Exorcise her? Torture her? What?" Danny stared blankly at his father. "You do realize that she wants your sister dead, right?"

Danny nodded. "So then how about we do something that isn't as reckless as inviting her to the party, okay?"

They all returned their eyes to their books.

"Maybe we should," Dean started, then quickly stopped himself.

"What?" asked Stephanie. "Maybe we should what?"

"Never mind," he said. "It's a stupid idea."

"We could always...," Danny started again.

"No," Stephanie cut him off. "I want to hear Dean's idea." Everyone glared at her.

"Well, we could go after her," said Dean. If looks could kill, he'd be dead. Again.

"You want to...what?" asked Jerry. "You're kidding, right?"

"No," said Dean. "I'm not." He and Sam exchanged looks.

"Why would we do that?"

"Yeah, isn't that a little, stupid?" asked Danny.

"Boy, are you sick in the head?" asked Bobby.

"Will you just listen to me?" asked Dean, frustration filling his voice. "Hear me out." They waited.

"We go to her," he started. "We pretty much set a trap for her. We bring it all...salt, devil's traps, holy water, the knife, everything. And when she shows up," he paused, "we kill her."

"And who do you mean by 'we'?" asked Jerry.

"Sam and me."

"And me."

"Stephanie, no," said Jerry. "Not happening."

"Dad," she said, "someone's gotta be the bait. And she wants me, right? So who better than me?"

"Yeah, she wants you dead, Stephanie. And there's no way I'm letting you do that," he said. "No way."

"This really isn't your choice, Dad. It's mine." Jerry didn't try to hide the hurt in his eyes. He couldn't bare to lose his daughter again. Not if he could do anything about it.

"So, let's say the three of you go after her, how do you expect to find her?" rationed Bobby. "She's a demon. They hide in the weirdest places."

Dean looked at his brother. "Sam."

That's all Dean had to say for Sam to get what he was asking.

"Ruby," said Sam.

Dean nodded. "Under one condition. When she's around, I'm not."

"Dean, I think you're being kinda-"

"No, Sam," he said. "Use her to find Lilith so we can gank the bitch and end this once and for all. Do whatever it is you have to do. Just leave me out of it." With that he got up, and walked out of the house.

It had been a while since Dean had given his brother his ultimatum, and it came time for Stephanie to go out and look for him. He wasn't difficult to find. He'd been wandering around the yard, never walking too far away from the Impala. She didn't want to startle him, so she cleared her throat, and said, "Hey, thirsty?"

She offered him a cold one. And he took it.

She was relieved he accepted her peace offering, and he'd hoped she'd leave him alone, but she dove right in and started talking.

"Hey, um, I just wanted to let you know that whatever's going on between you and Sam, it will pass, you know that, right?"

"Yeah," he said, but there was no meaning behind the word. He just wanted to be left alone.

"Dean, I mean it," she continued. "Whatever fight you guys are in the middle of, it'll blow over. It always does."

He didn't respond. He didn't even look at her.

"Ya know, Danny and me, we've had our share of arguments, and let me tell you, there were a few times I didn't think we'd ever go back to normal. But we did...eventually. It just takes time. Little brothers can be such a pain in the ass," she smiled, "but we love them anyway." She paused. "It's just our nature as the older sibling." She shrugged.

He turned his gaze towards her, but still said nothing.

"I'm sensing that there's more to your story than your issues with Sam," she said. He turned away, and took another swig from the bottle.

"Dean, I'm not gonna tell anyone, you know that," she reassured him. "Just level with me. We have to be on the same page, right? Or else this isn't going to work."

"You sure about this?" he asked.

"About what? Your plan? Eh, not one of my favorites, but I'm with you, you know that," she said, with a soft smile. "We'll make a helluva team."

"And you believe that based on what, exactly?"

For once, she didn't have a good answer for him. The only response she could come up with was, "I guess I just trust you."

He let out an awkward chuckle. "No way I'm buying that one." She gave him a confused look. "How could you trust me? How could you even want to work with me?"

Her confusion deepened, but then she said, "Oh, is that what this is about? You don't want me to work with you?"

"No, I didn't say that," he defended. "You're just the last person I thought I'd ever work with, that's all."

"Yeah, tell me about it," she agreed. "But I'm sure it'll all work out. We all know what we're doing. Lilith will be dead before we know it."

He stared at her. "Look at you, the eternal optimist."

"And what of your optimism, Dean?" she asked. "What of your faith? Hope? Righteousness?"

"Ha," he chuckled. "Honestly, I have no idea. Cas must have been talking out of his ass on that one. Makes no sense to me."

"No, I don't believe that," said Stephanie, as she moved closer to him. "And I don't think you really believe that either."

"Come on, me? The unforgiven righteous man? No, I don't think so."

She was slightly taken aback by his statement. "And there it is."

He gave her his _"There's what?"_ look.

"You think you're not forgiven for what you did," she said. "Why? Because you sold your soul for your brother and went to hell? Or because of the souls you tortured in hell that sparked the Apocalypse?"

He wished she hadn't been so blunt.

"Both," he whispered.

"Well let me tell you something," she started. "I was number one. You started with me, remember? And guess what, I forgive you." She was standing in front of him now. He tried not to look her in the eye, tried to move away, but she put her hands on his shoulders and stopped him. When he finally let his eyes meet hers, she said, "I forgive you, Dean. You have to learn to forgive yourself."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Yes, Dean. Yes. I forgive you. You have to forgive yourself. Even if you don't know how to, then you'll have to learn."

He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "If you say something negative, I swear I will hit you so hard, you'll end up in the middle of next week."

"I can't, Steph," he said. "I just...I can't."

"Why? There's gotta be a reason."

He took a breath before saying, "All of this, everything, it's just too big for one person to handle. It's too much. I can't do it all alone. And Sam...I don't know where he is anymore. It's like he's not Sam."

"Dean, that's why I'm here," she said. "Cas brought me back to help you. And I'm gonna help you."

"It's more than that, Steph," he continued. "It's a lot more than that. The things I've done, the things I've seen, and heard; they can't be forgiven, or erased." He paused. "I didn't deserve to be saved, and I sure as hell don't deserve to be forgiven. Not for what I did. And especially not for what I did to you."

"Dean, if you want to sit this one out, I understand," she offered. "I'm not gonna force you to do this."

"No," he said. "I might not be able to forgive myself for what I've done, but I swear that I will stop Lilith if it's the last thing I do."

"So you think revenge will replace forgiveness? Dean, I'm fighting by your side, whether you or my Dad like it or not. And ya know what else, I forgive you whether you accept it or not. And one day, you're gonna learn to step up, get past all of these feelings you're latching onto, and you'll see that if there's anyone in this world who deserves to be saved, it's you."

She didn't let him reply before she walked away and headed back into the house, where the others had been getting ready for the plans that evening. Dean watched as she walked away from him, her words echoing in his ears, playing over and over again in his mind. He felt a little lighter, a little less tense on the inside. A little less afraid.

His relief quickly disappeared.

If he'd blinked, he would have missed it.

In the time it took for Stephanie to walk back to the house, a figure appeared out of nowhere, and crossed paths with her. It ran into her, knocked her down, stood up, and vanished.

Panicking, Dean ran towards her, calling her name. When he finally reached her, he'd noticed part of her gray shirt had turned darker than the rest of it. He immediately applied pressure to her side. She let out a weak moan and her breathing hitched. He noticed the spot on her shirt spread, and she was struggling to hold onto consciousness. He checked for a pulse, and when he found one, it was weak, but it was there.

"Shhh," he said, "Steph, you're gonna be fine, okay? Just stay with me. Steph? Stephanie? No, Steph. Look at me. Stay with me, Steph. Come on."

Dean's voice brought out the other hunters, who immediately ran to their side.

"Stephanie!" Jerry shouted. He fell to his knees on the other side of his daughter.

"What the hell happened?" asked Bobby.

"I...I have no idea," said Dean. "She was just...walking back to the house...and...I don't know."

"Come on, not out here," said Bobby. "We better get her inside."

Sam and Danny carried Stephanie inside the house, Bobby and Jerry following closely behind.

Dean remained outside, kneeling on the ground. His watched them bring her inside where he hoped they could help her. It had all happened so fast, he didn't have time to react. He closed his eyes, took a shuddered breath, and tried to compose himself before standing. When he finally stood, he wiped his hands on his jeans to remove the excess dirt, but when he looked down, his heart almost stopped. His hands, jeans, jacket, shirt and the ground were saturated in blood.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello everyone and welcome to the latest update of my fic! Thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed - you're all awesome! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I plan on updating again real soon.**

**A/N: As usual, any and all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters.**

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Danny had never been afraid of blood. Or guts. Or anything else overwhelmingly grotesque. His lifestyle, his job forced him to work through dealing with the sticky substance and its distinct smell, to fight the bile that rose in his throat, and calm the waves that tossed around in his stomach. He had experienced his fair share of bloody messes. He'd see his loved ones bloody and broken with his own eyes more times than he cared to remember and he himself even died once in a puddle of his own blood.

But what stuck out in his mind to most, was the memory of his sister. He'd witnessed as she was mercilessly torn to shreds by the hell hounds, blood oozing from her wounds as she slowly died and went to hell for him. He could only imagine what horrors, torture, and evil she faced while she was there. He tried not to picture his sister facing her painful eternity alone. It was hard enough for him to watch the hell hounds use her as a chew toy, while he stood back helplessly. After all was said in done, her life traded for his, Danny cleaned up the mess, trying to wipe away the evidence of his sister's sacrifice; trying to wipe it away from his memory.

The nightmare became a broken record: always repeating the same parts over and over. He kept telling himself that it wasn't his fault, that she died quickly and painlessly, but he knew the truth. It was his fault. When their mother had died, Danny had been too young to completely remember the event accurately. To him, she was a distant memory; irrevocably important, but too far out of reach. She was a part of him he'd never completely understand. But his sister's was different. This time, he'd actually been the cause of the death of a loved one. And he remembered every second of it.

Danny carefully helped Sam carry Stephanie into Bobby's kitchen, and laid her down on the table. Jerry was instantly next his daughter: his giant hand pressed to the gash in her side. Danny stood on her other side, and watched with a heavy heart as her blood flowed freely in between his father's fingers. Sam gave them some room, while Bobby had gone to fetch towels, and boil some water. Stephanie's eyes were opened, but unfocused. She heard her father's voice calling her name, but she couldn't take her eyes off Danny. She reached her arm out to make contact with him, and he grabbed her hand.

"Stephanie," he whispered, "it's okay. You're gonna be okay. I'm right here. I'm not gonna leave you."

She didn't say anything in reply, but he saw in her eyes that she'd heard him.

"Bobby, some help here please?" asked Jerry. "I need another towel."

The seasoned hunter handed his friend a fresh towel, and as he made his way to the trash can, bloody towel in hand, a few drops fell from the crimson fabric onto the floor. Jerry continued to apply pressure as Danny tried to keep his sister conscious for as long as possible, while fighting the urge to vomit.

"Sam," said Jerry, "holy water. Now." Sam was gone and back before Jerry knew it.

He looked up at Sam and said, "Don't hesitate. Just open, and pour, okay?"

Sam nodded. He wished he could have done more, but for once, it wasn't Dean who needed saving. He left Danny and Jerry to handle the situation.

"Steph, honey, look at me," said Jerry, as he brushed his hand over the top of her head. When her eyes finally found his, he said, "I promise you it's just holy water, but it might burn, but you know I have to do it, okay?"

Her eyes widened in fear, but knew she couldn't fight it. She tried to control her breathing, but to no avail. Jerry looked back up at Sam who nodded slightly, and opened the cap to the bottle. Once Sam was ready, Jerry removed the towel, and Sam doused the wound with holy water. Stephanie let out an uncomfortable moan as the cool liquid flushed out her side, revealing to her family the depth of her wound. To Jerry's surprise, there was no reaction: no unholy vapor escaping from his daughter's body. No reaction whatsoever. Just more blood.

Jerry quickly replaced the towel with yet another fresh one, and continued to whisper words of comfort into his daughter's ear. Sam, Bobby, and Danny all exchanged confused looks.

"Jerry, should I call the paramedics?" asked Bobby.

"No," shot back the other hunter. "No, she'll be fine. We…I can take care of this."

After he had said this, there was a soft bang near the front of the house. The old screen door had shut behind Dean as he entered the house. His head was down, eyes examining his torso, his brain trying to comprehend the unfathomable amount of blood on this clothes.

When Sam noticed it was his brother, he felt his stomach drop. "Dean!" Sam gasped and hurried over to meet his brother. "Dean, are you okay?"

He looked up at his brother, cleared his throat and said, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. How's Steph?"

Sam blinked a few times. "Uh, not good," he said. "She's inside." Dean slowly walked behind his brother into the kitchen.

The smell of blood filled the air around him and Dean couldn't tell if it was because of what was on his clothes, or what was happening on the table in front of him. The scent hit him hard, burnt his nostrils, and churned his stomach. He heard soft, relentless moans of discomfort and pain coming from the table, and refused to look up. His mind had gone into hunter mode, and from experience, he knew that anyone who had ever lost this much blood wouldn't be alive much longer.

It was the first time neither Jerry nor Danny acknowledged his presence when he entered the room. Priorities are priorities, and they had been working hard to save their little family. Dean stayed near Sam, out of the way, but ready to help. Jerry kept repeating, "No paramedics! She's gonna be just fine!"

Time seemed to drag on endlessly. Jerry had managed to slow down the bleeding, but it was yet to stop. Stephanie had grown deathly pale and began to shiver. Danny covered his sister in blankets in an attempt to keep her warm. Sam and Bobby helped where they could. It was difficult to sit back and helplessly watch as their friends fought to keep Stephanie alive. Dean had not stayed in the kitchen for long. He didn't want to watch or hear as Stephanie clung to life. He didn't want his nightmares to start again.

He was in the living room, standing by a window, starting blankly out at the salvage yard. He tried to control his thoughts, and wrap his head around what Stephanie said to him and what had happened in the moments immediately after. He wasn't the one who needed to be saved. Even if he was, how could she say that she was the one for the job. He needed to save the world. That's what his damned unforgiven ass had been brought back to do in the first place.

"Dean," came a voice from behind him, interrupting his thoughts. He turned around and saw Cas standing there.

"Nice of you to show up," he snapped. "Let me guess, you're here to collect her soul?"

Cas gave him a confused look. "Dean, I thought you were a better hunter than that. I'm an angel, not a reaper. You know I'm not here to-"

"Yeah, whatever," he cut him off. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to ask you a question."

"Does it look like I have 'information' written across my forehead?"

"Dean, this is serious," said Cas.

"No, you know what's serious? An innocent girl is dying in there, and you haven't even considered helping her!"

The angel sighed. "You misunderstood me. Dean, that's why I am here. To ask you if you want me to save her."

"Why are you asking me?"

"Do you believe you still need her help?"

It took him a few seconds to realize what Cas had been referring to, and Dean thought carefully before replying. His gut was telling him that he still needed her, but maybe death would be a better way to go: an easy way out of this life. A happier way to spend eternity that didn't include pain, suffering, and torture. If she stayed, he knew he couldn't guarantee her safety: their current situation was proof of that. It shouldn't have been up to him. Cas knew Dean needed someone's help; someone on his side.

So, just like he had done hundreds of times before, Dean went with his gut.

"Yeah."

That was all the angel needed to hear. And he was gone.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hello everyone! I know it's been a long time since my last update and I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but it's better than nothing, right? I think this fic only has a few more chapters before it's complete, so thanks for sticking around so long. Thank you to all of you who are reading and reviewing...I really appreciate it. **

**A/N: As usual, any and all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters. **

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Sixteen**

Jerry was yet to leave his daughter's side. He kept whispering to her, trying to keep her focused and awake. He tried to ignore the quick, shallow breaths escaping her parted lips. Stephanie's sunken eyes shifted and she blinked continuously, but she never lost consciousness. Jerry knew his daughter had a strong will to survive, he just wasn't sure how much longer she could last.

Bobby walked over to his friend, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and said, "Jerry, she's lost a lot of blood. I could try to patch it up, but you have to have realistic expectations. Maybe we should call the paramedics."

Jerry didn't reply. He put a hand on his daughter's cheek, and shook his head. If he moved his fingers a little lower, he knew he'd be able to feel her pulse on her neck, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to feel the erratic thud of her artery. Bobby slowly removed his hand, sighed, and walked away. Danny had been quiet, so Sam tried to talk to him.

"Hey, how are you holding up?"

"Okay, I guess," he replied.

"That so?"

Danny looked up at him. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, I sort of know how you feel. Not knowing whether your family is going to make it. Feels like sitting on pins and needles, am I right?"

Danny didn't say anything. His answer was in his eyes. Sam could tell he was worried. Hell, he was scared he was going to lose his sister again. It was a look and feeling Sam was all too familiar with. Having Dean for a brother had it's perks, of course, but his reckless behavior caused Sam enough grief to last him ten lifetimes.

Dean returned to the kitchen to find everyone exactly where he'd left them. The only difference was Stephanie's worsening condition. He took a shaky breath as he caught a glimpse of her in his peripheral vision, and walked over to Sam.

"How's she holding up?"

"Not so great," said Sam. Danny turned away from the brothers to be at his sister's side again.

Dean didn't say another word. And Sam knew why. He could see what was going on in his brother's head. He knew exactly what he was thinking. Dean was going to beat himself up over this for absolutely no reason at all. It was becoming a regular thing, Dean thinking everything was his fault. Sam knew it wasn't like his brother to think like that. It was part of the job. Yeah, it had it's perks, that's for sure. But the consequences still lingered in the darkness and hovered over their small family in a dark cloud.

Sam was about to offer some words of encouragement and comfort when someone let out a harsh cough. His attention was refocused on Stephanie, who had begun choking on her own blood. She forced her head up off the table to make it easier for her to breathe, but her lack of strength didn't allow her to remain that way and her head fell back onto the table. The crimson liquid stood out on her paling skin, and offering a soft smile, Jerry took a clean towel and gently wiped his daughter's mouth and chin.

"Dad," started Danny, "I...I don't know how much longer she's got. Let Bobby take a look at her and see what he can do."

"No, Daniel," his father said. "No. She's gonna be fine." Stephanie started coughing again, but not as painfully violent as before.

"Danny's right, Jerry," said Sam. "Bobby's got the magic touch. He's more than capable for the job."

Again, Jerry didn't answer. He didn't want to hear it. He'd been in denial like this before when his wife was dying, and then again after Stephanie made her deal. There was no way he was going to lose her again. It wasn't fair. Especially not when he had no idea what, or who, did this to her.

Stephanie blinked a few times, her eyes swimming and glazed. She was alert, but her brain couldn't register what was going on. She finally found her Dad again, his voice drawing her attention to him. She blinked slowly, but stared at him. After a few seconds, her eyes closed shut and Jerry felt her hand go limp.

The room fell silent.

He wasn't expecting to have this kind of reaction. His eyes filled up, but he couldn't bring himself to cry. He was too angry at himself to experience that kind of relief. He'd managed to let someone else down, someone he actually cared about. This is what he had been talking about when he told Sam that he wished he couldn't feel anything anymore. The anger, pain, disappointment, grief, anxiety : it wasn't worth it anymore, and sure as hell wasn't getting him anywhere.

"Jerry," started Sam, "I...I'm so sorry." He could sense a strong mixture of sadness and anger rolling off the fellow hunter. Sam was usually good at comforting the bereaved, but tonight he was speechless.

A swift and silent breeze passed through the room. In the blink of an eye, Castiel was standing near Stephanie's head.

"You. Where the hell have you been?" said Danny, anger filling his voice as he approached the angel.

Cas' answer was simple and straight to the point. "Around."

With no more time for arguing or heated words, Cas placed his hand on Stephanie's forehead, leaned over the table, and began to speak softly into her ear. He stood upright again and his eyes met with Dean's. A few tense moments later, an unexpected, but strong, gasping noise came from the table.

**A/N: Please don't forget to feed the muse and review before the plot bunnies leave me again. Thanks. **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: To say I'm sorry for not updating sooner is an understatement. The plot bunnies have been on strike and I was lucky to get them to help me write this small little chapter. Hope you guys enjoy it and thanks for sticking around.**

**A/N: As usual, any and all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters. **

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Seventeen**

A feather.

That's how she felt. Light as a feather softly drifting, floating through the air. No feelings, no guilt, no anger, no worries weighing her down and holding her back. No pain. She was free. Free from all the emotions she had been feeling all her life. Numb. Warm. All of it simply faded away. The world around her had fallen silent. Peaceful. Safe. Everything had finally fallen into place. Everything was finally okay.

She could hear her Mom's voice. It was soft, distant, but it was there. She hadn't heard it in a long time, but recognized it in an instant. Her Mom was calling her home. Calling her to safety, where they'd be together again. She wasn't afraid anymore. Her fear had been replaced by relief. It was over. She was done. She'd finally see her mother again. The thought gave her pure joy.

"Mom? Mom, is that you?" There was a light shining through the darkness. She wanted to see her mother's face and run into the comfort of her arms.

"Go back, Stephanie. You have to go back," came her mother's reply.

"No, I want to come with you."

"Not yet, baby," her mother soothed gently, her voice coming from the growing bright, empty space before her.

"Please don't make me go back there," she pleaded. "I can't do this anymore."

"Yes, yes you can. Your father and brother, they need you. Dean needs you."

"Mom, please. I can't...I can't do this anymore. I don't want to." She wanted to cry, but no tears would fall. She tried to run towards her mother, but she wasn't able to move her feet.

Something was holding onto her. Something strong. Something powerful. She struggled against it, trying to break free, only wanting to reach her mother. She felt weighed down by whatever was tugging at her. Suddenly she began to feel heavy again. A cold emptiness washed over her as her mother's voice faded to silence.

Her eyes flew open. Her surroundings were blurry and unfocused. She blinked a few times and her brain registered where she was. Her breaths were coming out in short gasps. Her back was against something hard: a table, she guessed. Someone was holding her hand. She felt her shirt sticking to her and the strong smell of copper in the air made the bile rise in her stomach. She glanced up at the figure standing over her. A small smile crossed the angel's face.

All relief was gone. Everything came rushing back. She felt it all: the cold emptiness crept its way back into her heart, the overwhelming sadness and pain that she struggled to cover up and bury down deep, the worry that rendered her exhausted.

She closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh.

"Stephanie?"

It was her Dad. She felt him squeeze her hand. She looked at him, her eyes filling with tears.

"You with me, sweetie?"

Her only response was a simple nod. She was with him. She was right back where she belonged. They needed her here, in the real world. A world filled with monsters and demons, pain and blood, heaven and hell, anger and fear, guilt and sadness.

Not much room left for feathers.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to feed the plot bunnies before you leave. **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Two chapters in one day, or at least 24 hours...whoever would have thought? I know it's short and kinda scattered, but my muse is being entertained tonight so I figured I'd get this one out. I hope you enjoy it. Rated for one teeny, tiny bad word. Ye have been warned.**

**A/N: As usual, any and all mistakes are mine. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters.**

**Righteous Blood**

**Chapter Eighteen**

Stephanie broke her father's gaze and shifted her eyes back up to meet Cas. She wanted to ask him why. Why had he saved her when she was so close to escaping, so close to eternal happiness. He had brought her back, again, and this time she wanted a real reason.

One of the special powers an angel possesses is that of mind reading. Although some angels would argue that it was more of a curse, being able to catch a glimpse into other people's minds had allowed Cas to better understand is purpose and mission both with the Winchesters and as an angel of the Lord. He understood humans better now: how fragile, broken, scared, lonely, strong, and willing they are. Cas knew that Stephanie was upset with him, and what she planned on asking before she was able to open her mouth. She wanted an explanation, and the angel knew he had to come up with something better than "your blood is rare and righteous", or some bullshit like that.

He read her mind. Through all the questions, angry thoughts, yelling and chaos swimming around in her brain, the question "why" was stuck on never-ending repeat. He tried to comfort her by pouring his soft blue eyes into her angered and frightened stare. After a few seconds, he whispered, "You know why."

If Stephanie had any strength, or any knowledge on how to do so, she would have gotten up off the table and killed the angel right there in the kitchen, audience and all. She was pissed off. She was going to be happy. That was not the kind of response she was looking for. Sure, she knew why on some level, but she wanted to hear it. There had to be a bigger reason why she was saved, again. There had to be another reason why she was still being subjected to this life. Especially when all she wanted was for it to end. Her dream of seeing her mother again, of being at peace, of knowing that everything was okay was taken from her. She had almost wished he'd thrown her back down to hell instead.

She closed her eyes again, not wanting to cry in front of her family and fellow hunters. She wouldn't allow herself to show any weakness on the subject. Her father's rules echoing in her head, _"Never let your guard down, show no emotion, make the world believe you are dead inside." _The last part would come easy. Her body was alive again, yes, but a big part of her soul never came back.

"Stephanie, you okay? Say something."

It was Danny's voice. He was standing over her, hovering like the concerned sibling she knew he was. She realized that no one besides the angel had heard her question, and she hoped no one else heard his answer.

She decided to play stupid. Cover up her emotions and act like she hadn't just almost walked through the pearly gates. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, but those closest to her heard her ask, "What happened?"

Jerry and Danny exchanged looks. "You were outside, talking to Dean, and...and something came up, knocked you down, and hurt you, Steph," said Jerry. "Don't you remember?"

Of course she remembered. She wasn't an idiot. Cas denied her release from this hell; he didn't erase her memory of it.

"Why is my shirt all wet?"

"That's just water. We had to clean you up and make you all better." Jerry was trying not to startle his daughter with details about blood loss, paleness and her brief lack of pulse. "How about we get you up so you can go change?" He and Danny slowly helped her sit up. It didn't matter: slow or not, the room began to spin as soon as her head lifted up off the table.

Once she got her bearings again and her eyes stopped swimming, she saw Dean standing off in the corner, watching quietly. His behavior made her think he was some kind of creepy stalker who enjoyed watching other people suffer. But that might just have been her mind on reruns again.

This was different though. Something about him caught her off guard. Despite his silent distance, she was able to see something on his face that she wasn't expecting. He looked concerned, worried even. Could he have been worried that he was going to lose her? She laughed at herself for thinking such a ridiculous thing. What did he care what happened to her? She was the one memory he tried so hard to forget: the one that caused him the most pain. And yet she was the one who tried to convince him that his life is worth saving and forgiving. She tried to show him that he is a good person who can't always be angry at himself and the world because of what he'd done. He thought she was crazy for actually having faith in him.

She examined his face for a few seconds while her father and brother continued making an unnecessary fuss around her. When he realized she had been staring at him, he shifted his feet awkwardly, like he didn't know where to turn. No use fighting it, he defeatedly looked up at her. The expression on his face said it all. She suddenly knew why Cas had done what he had done.

**Thanks for reading! I hope this makes as much sense as I think it does. If not, ask me and I shall explain. Or just stick around for another chapter. It's up to you. **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hi everyone! Here's a brand new, hot off the press, much longer update for your reading pleasure. I think this chapter flows nicely and I hope that you enjoy it. The evil plot bunnies had nothing to do with this. It was all me. **

**A/N: As usual, any and all mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Supernatural" or any recognizable characters. **

**Righteous Blood **

**Chapter Nineteen**

She was surprised how quickly she had grown accustomed to the new life she had just been given. Well, more like the life she took. The woman was beautiful, long, flowing locks of brown hair, hazel green eyes, and a subtle beauty mark on her cheek that she quite admired. On top of the outer beauty, the woman was innocent and pure at heart. To be frank, she was the exact opposite of what her new tenant was known for. Single, successful, beautiful, shy and funny, qualities that made her an easy target. She admired her new meat, having changed out of the woman's conservative look and into a more flashy and revealing one. Ever since she'd made herself at home in the woman's body, she'd been thinking about the recent events that transpired. She had had to find a new vessel since the Winchesters had already seen the former one. In order to keep them on their toes, she had learned long ago to change bodies whenever possible, and Liz had suited her perfectly.

The Winchesters. She felt the anger rise inside her at the very thought of them and their new friends. She had to be patient. Biding her time and thinking of a new plan to overcome them. Surely her master would approve of that. She'd been feeling like a failure for far too long. Sure, she'd managed to trap Sam and Dean last year to make sure Dean held up his end of the deal, but she wanted more. There was just something about them that didn't sit well with her, besides the fact that they wanted her dead. Ever since those angels came into the picture, she'd had an even stronger sour taste in her mouth.

Standing near the woman's bedroom window, glancing up at the moon, she smiled to herself for a moment as the wheels were turning and forming a new plan. Her expression changed completely when she sense someone standing behind her.

"I did it," came the exasperated voice behind her. "It's all done. Now you can make your move towards victory."

"My next move?" she asked.

The figure behind her stared at the back of her head, completely dumbfounded. "Well, yes. Your plan...you can go ahead with it now. The problem has been taken care of."

Lilith turned around and faced him. Her arms were folded over her chest. He'd seen that look before. And he knew he was screwed.

"And what do you know of my plan?"

"The one you're here for. You asked for my help and I have given you all the help I can provide. I killed her."

"Killed who?"

"You're playing games with me. You said you needed her taken care of, our of the way."

"Yes..."

"It's done. I killed her myself. Without her, there is no way Dean Winchester will be able to do this alone."

"You did that for me? You went over there and killed Stephanie for me?" Lilith smiled, put her hand on the woman's chest as a gesture of gratitude, and walked towards her accomplice.

"For you, yes."

Lilith walked closer to him, so close their noses were almost touching.

"Yes," he whispered.

She smiled again and kissed him. Just as she was breaking her lips away from his, she stabbed him in the chest, instantly killing the man, and the demon possessing him.

His body dropped to the floor. "Idiot. Don't these demons know that I get the news updates quicker than they deliver them to me? I am so sick of them kissing my ass, trying to get ahead." The demon laughed. "They're all so stupid. It really is so hard to find good help these days." She kicked the corpse for good measure, and because it was funny.

When the body remained lifeless, she crouched down beside it and whispered, "Ya see, smart ass, I know for a fact that Stephanie is not dead. She's alive and well. So even if I had asked you to kill her, you still would have failed, and you'd still be dead." She giggled to herself. "Really now, you think I'm that stupid? Sending someone to do my dirty work for me? No. I will do it myself." The demon stood up. "I wonder what she looks like inside out."

* * *

After what felt like forever, Stephanie was glad to finally be out of her sticky, ripped, stained clothes. She headed upstairs after she regained her balance and the room stopped spinning to take a shower and change. The bathroom quickly filled with steam from the hot water flowing behind the curtain. Even after her long, hot shower, she still felt cold and weighed down. She sighed when she told herself that she'd just have to get used to it again. Throwing the damaged clothes away, she headed back downstairs to see what the others were doing.

To her surprise, she had found that the all had resumed their usual duties and carried about their business. Trying not to attract and unnecessary attention to herself, she tip-toed into the kitchen to get some coffee. While she was gone, Bobby and Jerry had meticulously and routinely cleaned up the mess from the kitchen table. If anyone would have walked into the house they never would have known that any of the day's earlier events had have ever happened. The only exception was the garbage pail filled to the top with blood-stained towels. Stephanie felt a shiver run down her spine. As she reached for a clean coffee mug, she made mental note to remember to take the trash out later before the smell made everyone sick.

A voice came from behind her. "How you holding up?"

"Damn these old, creaky floors. I guess I wasn't being as quiet as I thought," she said, filling her mug with the hot, dark liquid. She didn't need to turn around to know that it was Dean. When he didn't reply to her weak attempt to be funny, she said, "I'm fine."

"You sure?" He hesitated, but took a few steps closer to her.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, taking a sip.

"Oh, okay then. Just wanted to make sure." He turned to leave, but she sensed he had followed her for a different reason.

"Dean, I know."

He stopped and looked at her. "Know what?"

"Why Cas did what he did," she said. He stared at her. "I was dead. I was at peace. Gone, happy...free. I wanted to stay with my Mom. I wanted out of this life. And he brought me back. Again. And I couldn't understand why. I was angry. I wanted answers, and something better than 'righteous blood' or whatever." She paused when she saw the look on his face.

He didn't say anything, so she continued. "But then I saw you. You were standing there, and you actually looked worried." He straightened up and tensed.

"I knew that you had asked him to save me. Why? I have no idea. I was under the impression you thought I was out of my mind to say what I said to you and to go as far as forgiving you for everything." She paused again. She was making him uncomfortable, but he wasn't going to walk away. "We were both free of me. You could go ahead and do what you need to, fight the good fight with Sam by your side, just like you always have. But there was a part of you that realized you need me. And I can't necessarily hold a grudge against a reasoning like that."

Coffee in hand, she signaled the end of the conversation by walking away from him and towards the living room where Bobby, Sam and her family were, Dean couldn't help but stand dumbfounded.

He couldn't believe it. She wasn't angry at him for asking Cas to save her, to bring her back to him. She was right, she needed to hear the truth, and it decided it would be best if she heard it from him.

"Steph," he said.

She turned. "Yeah?"

"I asked him to do what he did, because I believe what you said."

"Believe what?" Whether she was asking just to mess with him, he'll never know. He replied anyway.

"That I deserve to be saved."

She smiled widely. "Finally! Dean Winchester has seen the light! You better start making a habit out of believing other people, my friend. You gotta trust the people you have on your side. If not, all hell will break loose."

"Aren't you curious why?"

"Nope. I'm just glad to hear you're starting to agree."

"You were right. I realized that I do need you here with me." His guard was down, and admitting it out loud didn't make him sound like the strong, confident, cocky Dean Winchester the world knew. He didn't know what it was, but there was something about her that gave him a odd sense of comfort; like her being there with him made victory feasible. Sure, he had Sam. If there's anything, or anyone, in the world he's always had, it's Sam. But lately Dean had been questioning his brother's loyalty. He used to think that he had a chance to hold onto Sam, even with Ruby in the picture, but now he's not so sure.

"Dean, I can't convince you to forgive yourself for your actions. And I sure as hell can't help save you from whatever demons you're fighting in the melon of yours."

She stepped towards him. "But maybe we can help each other. And who knows, maybe you're on the road to forgiving yourself. Let bygones be bygones. Move on. We'll work as a team, and we'll face whatever fate has in store for us together."

**Reviews = love! Thanks for reading! **


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